Of Blades and Blood
by legacyZero
Summary: [AU]It has been four years since Naruto ran away, and things often change. Most who cared had given up on him, except for Jiraiya, who now wanders the continent in search of him. Eventually, he finds Naruto. But then again, things are never the same...
1. Prologue: Taking Leave

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Naruto belongs to its respective owners and some other Japanese dudes. Bleh.

"...": Speech

_Italics_: Thoughts

**Bold**: Kyuubi

Prologue: Taking Leave

Shikamaru stared at the cloud filled sky as he laid on his back, enjoying the evening air after a long day of playing errand boy for the new Hokage of Konoha. He found it troublesome to perform tasks for her but found that it was equally troublesome to complain about it and so settled on the fact that Life was like that. But that didn't mean he would skip out on his relaxing time. After all, it would be too troublesome to rest at home, without being nagged at by his mother.

He stared some more at the sky, half heartedly guessing the shapes of the passing clouds. Then he looked at the greenish grey vest which he wore, a symbol of his rank of Chuunin. To many of his age, it was a honor and a dream come true to be receive such a rank, but to him, it was another troublesome thing which brought even more bothersome things and worst of all, it was a title he didn't want to achieve.

As his thoughts drifted to the comforts of sleep and napping, soft foot steps on the grass interrupted his thoughts. Shikamaru looked up to see Naruto, someone who he came to know as a strange, if not dependable person. There was something off with him but he passed it off as an illusion of light

"Hey."

"Hi."

"…"

"You staring at the clouds?" The blonde asked, somehow lacking the drive and passion which was a trademark for him.

"Yeah." The black haired youth replied, content with his one word answer. From the way Naruto shifted his feet about, and Shikamaru knew that he had something to ask him. "You came here to ask about something?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the cerulean skies. "Perhaps." The boy answered, his voice laced with anxiety.

Silence filled the air, but Shikamaru didn't pay any mind it too much; after all, he preferred the quiet in comparison to the noisy racket created whenever Naruto was around. Naruto opened his mouth before closing again, hesitation and conflict clouding his mind. He reached a decision as he turned away from the Chuunin and started to walk away.

Shikamaru sighed with neither relief nor dismay; maybe he would not seek his consul after all. Naruto stopped in his steps, his head turned towards the setting sun.

"Hey, Shikamaru…" Naruto began as the cool evening breeze blew through his hair, the crimson orange rays tinting his blonde hair. "Do you blame me for not being able to stop Sasuke?"

"You tried your best, and it seems like Uchiha wanted to leave anyway so I don't think you should be too hard on yourself." Shikamaru said in a lazy tone, arching his eyebrows in thought. "Why do you ask though?"

_Because it was his decision to leave and my fault for not stopping him._

"Because…he was my comrade and…friend." Naruto answered with clenched teeth, his hands balling up into a tight fist.

The blonde remained silent, before walking off in the direction of the village's market area, the village lights already bright. Shikamaru gave a glance to the retreating form of the genin, before returning to his ritual sky gazing in favor than trying to unravel the reasoning behind the boy. After all, Ino was probably hassling enough for him to figure out.

* * *

Iruka prepared to retire for the day, but not before passing by the Ichiraku ramen stall on his way. And as expected, he caught sight of the blonde genin sitting there probably inhaling another bowl of Ramen.

Deciding to greet the blonde, Iruka opened his mouth to speak but promptly slammed shut when he saw the dead look Naruto had in his eyes. Never once did he see the boy so down, and now, not even ramen seemed to cheer him up. The Naruto he knew would go onto the next bowl without delay, smiling throughout but the one in front of him merely picked at his food, slowly eating as if devoid of the drive he was well known for.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked , taking a seat next to him. He shivered as Naruto gave an apathetic look, until the corners of the boy's lips curved into a slight smile.

"Hi, Iruka-san." The boy replied as he slurped the ramen up with his mouth. "Have you eaten yet?" At that moment, a rumbling noise came from the chuunin's stomach. Iruka gave a nervous laugh, "Err…actually no. My pay check doesn't come until tomorrow morning, so you see..."

At that, Naruto gave a small laugh before turning to the cook. "One pork favored ramen for him please."

"Thanks." Iruka said as he dug into his freshly made ramen. They ate in silence, with the occasional shout for another bowl on Naruto's part. Finally, Iruka found his voice to speak.

"There is something troubling you." Iruka turned to the unusually quiet boy, his worry creeping onto his face. "Perhaps." Naruto turned back, eating the noodles with less zeal than before. "Tell me, Naruto," Iruka urged, "Anything at all that you think I could help with." Naruto gave him a smile, but this one was bitter.

"No, I'm fine really."

"If you say so…" Iruka said, not really convinced.

_There's something wrong him today, but…_ A tinge of worry flashed through his mind as he was briefly reminded with Naruto's blank stare. _I hope you can get over whatever is troubling you, Naruto…_

"Well then, I got to get moving," He said, smiling as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Thanks for the dinner, Naruto." With that, he departed from stall, not  
knowing that it would be the last time he would see Naruto again.

* * *

Naruto stared at his bare ceiling. Sleep had eluded him tonight, just like the other nights during the past week since the failing of their mission to retrieve Sasuke. The villagers glared at him even more, if possible, making him feel even worse. They blamed him for it, saying that he influenced the young genius to commit such a treacherous act. But who could blame them? After all, he was just a demon child while Sasuke was hailed as a genius prodigy. Who wouldn't choose the Uchiha over him, the cursed one who bears the Kyuubi? After all, they hated him and adored the Uchiha. Perhaps it could change but he somewhere deep in his heart, he knew it was not possible. The hatred for him will remain until he died.

If only he had more strength, then he could change his destiny. The destiny of the hated.

Anger and despair filled him, allowing unshed tears to flow from his eyes. Despair about the miserable existence that was his life, and anger at the ones responsible for his plight. Soon, anger was the only thing he felt, swirling and swirling within him, the foreign yet familiar feeling of Kyuubi's chakra surging through him until he felt numb.

Soon, blackness was what all he felt.

That was all it was. Locked away in a corner of the mind, stretched and molded into anyone's desire, its design is seemingly infinite in possibilities, shifting and changing with every few moments. The very dimension itself an illusion within the mind, made using Kinjutsu. But in reality, it was void; a beautiful trap which purpose is to hold the huge black prison taking up prominence in the center of this realm within the mind. And it never failed to amaze Naruto every time he assessed this part of his mind.

And there in the cramp dark prison stood his unwilling guest for the rest of his life; Kyuubi, one of the four Lords of Destruction, caged behind the solid seals which held him in place…for now.

-**Greetings, boy**.- The voice of Kyuubi boomed throughout the dreamscape. **–You came to talk, perhaps?-**

"You!" He pointed a accusing finger at the encaged demon. "You brought me here!" Kyuubi smiled at that. **–So I did, what does it matter to you? I merely wish to talk.-**

"If this is some kind of a trick…"Naruto warned.

**-I know how you are feeling.- **The demon interrupted, blood red chakra leaking out from the demon's body in waves as he got up from the ground, moving back and forth in his prison. **–I know how you hate the feeling of being weak. And I wish help you achieve power, if you listen. - **But Naruto did not listen to the demon despite his growing bitterness for his limitations, having belief that the demon was using him for his gain.

"You know nothing about me; all you care is how you are going to use me to escape your prison!" Naruto shouted, his mind tore between ingrained doctrines of the evil that was Kyuubi and the temptation of accepting Kyuubi's offer to strength.

**-Then tell me, would you believe the words spat at you by those mortals who so loathed your existence? Or those you think helped you to get strong? Remember that you failed in your mission even after all they have 'done'?- **

"They are not like that! Ero-sennin and the rest are different!" The time spent with them, the bonds forged, were they all just a lie? Naruto could not fathom it, but it possible now that everything seemed to fall apart in his world.

-**Oh really then?- **Kyuubi said, its tone taking a more unsubtle turn, making Naruto feel like a cornered prey. **–You fear that it was all one big lie, and that they pitied you. And you hated pity. But more than that, you fear feeling helpless; helpless in the fact that you still failed to bring him back, helpless about how there is nothing more you could do.-**

"But I could have done better to make him stay! Maybe if I tried harder, this wouldn't have happened at all!" He ranted at the demon, as tears trickled down his face. The burden was too much for him to bear as the reality of his fears was brought to truth.

**-Perhaps, you could but what's done cannot be undone. And even if you did succeed, would your friend be so kind as to appreciate what you did?- **

Naruto stared at the shrouded form of the demon, the tears subsiding. His thoughts became focused as he pondered the question. Slowly, realization crept upon his mind like a light, lifting him from his illusions for the very first time. _The fox's right._ _Sasuke__ would have blamed me for stopping him and hate me for all that I have done to help!_

**-You called him friend and yet he tried to kill you. But remember he never was forced to make his choice, and he did it in his free will.- **Kyuubi continued, his low voice booming as the fox stared at Naruto with calculating eyes.** -He chose his path and now he shall walk it, regardless of the consequences. Like all the ignorant peasants who despised you.- **

-**They hate you, and always will**.- Kyuubi said, swishing its gigantic tails in large sweeping motions. **-All they cared for was that Uchiha boy, who turned his back on the very ones who supported him. And yet even now they hold him in higher regard than they do you.- **

Naruto remained silent, remembering the each of the glares and sneers he received from the villagers from earliest moment he could remember. He felt his rage boil higher, his despair fueling the inferno that was his rage. All the sneers, the glares, the gossip about him, outweighed the few happy times he had in his life. He ignored his feelings until now, but there was no more crowds to wear a mask in front of and he felt his emotions threatening to break him down even more, the reminder of Sasuke's betrayal making it even harder to bear.

"What makes you different from them!?" Naruto spat out, years of repressed anger finally surfacing, his eyes narrowing at the caged demon, who laughed at the question in amusement. **-What makes me different is that I am the only one you got. The only one who would help you reach into your potential.-**

"As if you would help me," Naruto snorted, a little doubt clouding his emotion state of mind, "Demons aren't known for helping. Especially demons like you."

Kyuubiignored the barb. **-On the contrary, I will help you gain what you so desire. The one thing which you have always wanted since you were young.- **"And what is that?" Naruto asked, a tinge of anticipation filling him. To attain what he has always dreamed about, to be acknowledged and be the strongest ninja around, the title of Hokage. It may not have be a dream anymore, his dream to be acknowledged!

-**Simple, you want strength. The strength to forge your own destiny. The power to become Hokage**- Kyuubi said, its mouth moving into a sick parody of a smile. Naruto parted his lips, as if to say something and the demon knew he struck a nerve. -**Am I right?- **Kyuubi noticed with approval when the boy didn't answer. **–However, if you do want my help, there is but one condition…-**

"What should I do then?" Naruto asked with doubt filled eyes. At this, Kyuubi fixed its amber eyes at the boy with smug satisfaction. **–You must follow my instructions, when I say so, or my assistance will be void**– It was an idle threat, for the Kyuubi didn't want to perish without a fight and certainly not by a careless mistake on the part of his host. But Naruto did not know this and nodded his acceptance to the condition.

-**As your first task, you must…- **Kyuubi dragged on the sentence, its canines protruding from its jaws as it grinned at Naruto, who inched closer to hear**. -Leave this place you call home.**-

* * *

Suddenly, Naruto felt the winds passing by, blowing and howling and then there was quiet. He found himself breathing heavily on his bed. Opening his eyes he was staring at the ceiling of his apartment, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. _It was only a dream… _He found it impossible that could have happened; for him to have accepted the help of the Kyuubi. It was so surreal that it had to be a dream. _Just a dream_. He assured himself. He wiped the sweat with his sleeve, catching the symbol of the Nine-tails tattooed on the upside of his right hand. It was a fox with nine long tails. He stared at it in wonder, the mark captivating him with its artistry, the power of Kyuubi calling out to him even as he gazed at it. _It wasn't a dream then…_

Silently, he continued to stare at the ceiling, his thoughts in turmoil as to what he should do. He held the necklace which the Fifth had given him and then to the tattoo on his hand. They represented to paths: one was to stay helpless to his fate, or to break his shackles and fulfill his dreams.

-An memory of him flashed in his mind, bringing him back into his younger self, surrounded by dozens of hateful villagers as they sneered at him and threw objects at him, watching with delight as he cried and cried... -

And he was back in his room, staring at the broken ceiling of his apartment. He knew that Iruka, Jiraiya and Tsunade and maybe perhaps Kakashi, did not fault him but they were only four people among the endless numbers in Konoha. His destiny was not meant to be spent in here but rather to be a wanderer, free and uncaring to the world.

He got up, his choice made. A few tears trickled down his cheeks as he took off the necklace Tsunade gave him and placed it on the table along with a note of goodbye.

* * *

It was morning.

Too early to wake up and work, the current Hokage would say, who was a enemy against the Sun during those warm, cozy days where sleep was a alterative to the never ending horde of paperwork. Despite this, the sunlight peered through the window blinds and into the huge stacks of papers upon the mahogany desk of Fifth Hokage. The only occupant of this imposing room was currently sleeping, oblivious to the events which would shock her soon.

Zzz…

Zzz…

The doors burst open, revealing a frantic chuunin. "Hokage-sama!"

"Hm?" The sleeping woman took a drowsy look at the ninja, a small trail of drool hanging from her mouth. The Chuunin ignored the undignified appearance of the Hokage and quickly continued. "Uzumaki Naruto has been reported to have left the village."

This caught Tsunade's attention and her ire upon the Chuunin, instantly snapping from sleepiness to full alert. "Why weren't the ANBU able to catch him then?!" The Chuunin became nervous. "Er…They said that Uzumaki was already across the Fire country border."

_Bullshit! They were still prejugdiced against Naruto, for the demon he kept at bay. He wasn't responsible for those deaths, why can't those people see through that?!_

But still, she could not stand such nonsense coming from her own subordinates especially towards one that was not responsible for such an act to occur. She was caught in her anger that she failed to notice the Chunnin calling her.

"Yes?" She snapped at him, finally breaking out of her thoughts. Silently, he handed to her a necklace, the very one she gave to Naruto a few weeks prior. "This was found along with a note in his apartment." She gaped at it, her eyes wide as

"Your orders, Hokage-sama?"

"Dispatch a team to locate and retrieve Uzumaki _unharmed_." The Chuunin bowed. "As you wish, Hokage-sama." He left the room, leaving Tsunade alone with her thoughts. Why would Naruto leave the village? What reason would he have to do so? And more importantly, why did he leave the necklace? _Because he wanted to leave_, a voice in her mind told her.

Tsunade stared at the necklace and the letter for a very long time.

_-A year later…-_

Hokage-sama,

The mission you have so graciously bestowed upon us, the As of today onwards, the task of finding and retrieving the missing-nin, Uzumaki Naruto, will be suspended indefinitely as he has left the boundaries of the Fire country. Warrants for him posted earlier will be cancelled and Hunter-nins are notified of the standard 'Search and destroy' procedure should they encounter Uzumaki. I take responsibility for failing to live up to your expectations and I apologize in the stead of my comrades.

Our sincere apologies,

Mizuke Haruka, ANBU team-06


	2. Act I: Many Meetings

Disclaimer: Me no own.

Of Blades and Blood

Act I: Many Meetings

Four years have past, with her becoming the apprentice of the Fifth herself and Naruto's mysterious escape from Konoha.

Three since Naruto disappeared altogether, making him an S-rank missing-nin.

Two years since she has achieved the rank of Chuunin. Sakura looked at the years past in reminisce, idly wondering how all this could have happened within a short span of four years. But she quickly chided herself, and instead concentrated on the mission before her. Her eyes darted about the surrounding area, taking note of any possible locations in the numerous buildings where any enemy shinobi could conceal themselves for a surprise attack. Behind her was the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, the famous medical specialist, Tsunade, flanked by two special-Jounins on each side, including Neji Hyuuga who was recently promoted. The security was absurdly excessive but with the heavy tension of suspicion among the hidden villages veiling the continent, such measures were a necessity, especially so in a potentially dangerous village such as the hidden Stone.

"Sakura, is there any problem?" Tsunade asked her apprentice, who stopped abruptly. The girl scanned again, this time her eyes glowing as chakra empowered them. After several moments, she shook her head, her eyes returning to normal. "No, Tsunade-sama. It's safe to proceed." Tsunade nodded and continued walking with the group.

_Strange, I feel a weird flow of chakra but I can't figure out where…no matter, it doesn't seem to be a threat, for the moment. _She thought as her eyes flicked about, searching for the anomaly but nothing was found.

Much has changed during those last four years. But among all those changes, she wasn't the weak little girl like she used to be. This time she was competent, unlike those times where she was only a burden to bear. Her body had also grown, filling out expectantly in the desired places of developing teenager. She had also let her once short hair to grow out, eventually reaching her back. In all, the previous years made her a beautiful and talented kunoichi, and also an object of a male attention from her generation. But that was only on the surface, however. Emotionally, she was insecure. And even after so long a time, she hasn't gotten over Sasuke and still was very much in love with him, her feelings for him strengthening even though he betrayed the leaf. Now, he was seen to be with the Hidden Sound, serving as Orochimaru's personal guard. Over a slow time, her tears shed for him finally stopped but still she felt a great ache when she remembered.

_Sasuke__…why did you have to leave…?_ Her expression became pained, before it shifted into a cool mask of indifference. She tried to bury the feelings she had for him but it always came back in force, making her feel even more helpless than before. Worse still, her parents were killed a year ago during a mission; her loneliness growing as she lived as an orphan within an empty house. She and

But Tsunade noticed the look before it faded, and her features softened as her motherly instincts took over. She knew of Sakura's ongoing torment over the turn-coat Uchiha and felt sorry for the girl. The effect of Sasuke's actions had on Sakura were great but she knew that her pupil would be able to pull through this difficult phase. Tsunade saw the potential in Sakura to become a great medical shinobi but first she had to surpass the barrier that was Uchiha Sasuke, and thus she would cut Sakura some slack every time the pink-haired girl had that bitter expression, knowing that she still needed time to recover from her loss. However, that didn't mean she let up on Sakura's training, and Tsunade was proud to say that Sakura was getting better and better in her ninjutsu and taijutsu, not to mention her substantial skill in medical jutsu.

But the girl also trained hard on her free time. And it showed, by the way of Sakura's and the frequent resting of her eyes when she thought no one was looking.

She reached out to grab Sakura by the shoulder, startling the pink kunoichi. "Sakura, why don't you go on ahead to the hotel first? You're tired from the journey, and as far as I can see, you should rest." It was not true, but Tsunade needed some excuse to send her

"But, Tsunade-sama!-"

Tsunade waved a hand, stopping the girl. "Neji and the others would provide adequate protection until my meeting with the Tsuchikage is over, until then, feel free to wander about the city," Tsunade said, a reassuring smile on her face. "I am sure you will find something to do with your time. Later." Quickly, she walked off with her remaining escorts, leaving a silent Sakura alone on the crowded streets.

* * *

The hidden village of Stone was perched upon one of the many plateaus of the Earth country. For this, their agricultural produces were often one of the best, the mountain air contributing to its freshness. But one thing that Hidden stone village was known for, apart from their ninjas, was their simply delicious ramen no matter which stall you ate at.

And at one of those ramen stalls which littered the city's long streets, a grey cloaked man sat down, a sheathed sword dangling at his side. Silently, he gestured towards the menu for his desire meal.

"One pork ramen, coming right up!"

A steaming bowl of noodles soon appeared on the table, in front of the cloaked man. His face was partially hidden by the shadows of his hood, though blonde hair spilled forth from the hood. His lips set in a thin line, befitting that of a dangerous person. But the owner of the stall and his patrons did not know this and merely ignored the strange wanderer, for no one would question a paying customer.

"Hey, what kind of sword is that you got there?" One of the patrons asked, his eyes showing interest in the strangers weaponry as it was uncommon for anyone to own swords, since they were rendered almost obsolete by the skill and effectiveness of the shinobi caste.

"A reversed edged one." The blonde answered, as he ate, his left arm uselessly limp at his side. The guy next to him became confused. "Are you kidding? What type of swordsman are you to use such a blade?!"

The man stayed silent before turning towards the one who made the outburst. The man gulped as he felt inhuman eyes stare upon him. He stared down, afraid to see what sort of eyes the strange swordsman possessed. Reasoning that no man could possess such frightening eyes, he gathered the courage to look. And he saw contemptuous crimson eyes stare him down, as if challenging him to a fight. Finally, the stranger turned back to his food, much to the other man's relief.

"One that doesn't kill." The man grunted as he sipped the last of his soup. With that the hooded figure left the ramen stall.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the crowds of the Hidden Stone from above the building, feeling disgust for the simple-minded and aimless populace which walked the street. They knew nothing of suffering and pain, content to a lower sense of existence than those of the Ninja way. And for that, he truly hated and as much as he would hate to admit, envied them. He envy for their ability to continue to lead an ignorant life, oblivious to the events which would not affect but yet concern them.

The past four years have changed him, though much of it was positive. Positive in the fact that he was getting stronger everyday, unlike the times where he spent in Konoha dwindling his time by childish act. His strength has increased dramatically under the training and time spent in the Sound village, now equaling that to a special Jounin in terms of strength and techniques, and perhaps even more. He would soon be equal or exceeding to that of his wretched brother Itachi, which he was sure of. And soon he would be able to kill the one who has could him so much torment. However, he did not feel joy over the prospect as it would take away his purpose as an avenger for his mission would be complete. He had no idea of what he was going to do next, everything planned was in preparation for the day he would fight his brother and triumph. Aside from that, it was the only way to justify the immoral acts he committed in the quest to gain power to destroy his brother, because without it he just would become another replica of his brother; a power hungry madman. He would not end up like his brother that he would swear, even if it cost him his soul in the process.

But it was not the time to regret, for he could question himself as long as he want after he killed Itachi with his own hands, though some part of him wished he chose to stay within the beautiful village of Konoha; which was paradise compared to the dilapidated state of Sound. But under such deplorable conditions, Sound had managed to produce some of the best ninjas ever to be seen, making it easy to test his strength against Orochimaru's finest.

Like everyone else who has the curse seal, he is part of the elite group which accompanies Orochimaru wherever he goes. Acting as bodyguard to the Snake-sannin was detestable to say the least, but the amount of rare and powerful jutsus that Orochimaru offered in exchange was well worth the cost. He would obey the snake as long as he would stand to gain, even going as far as to kill his former friends in Konoha, should such a situation arise.

And here he was, acting as a bodyguard to Orochimaru, along with a dozen Sound-nins much older than he was, to the Hidden village of Stone to negotiate a possible alliance against Konoha. He had dismissed Sasuke from his guard duties, allowing him to roam the city for pleasure, and on a more subtle note, scout out any vulnerabilities to be exploited should the need arise. It was a clear sign of favorism but the other Sound-nins were indifferent, either not really caring or just waiting for the time is right to discredit him for their gain.

Sometimes, he missed the simple life when he was just a kid, where his only worries were that of passing his next examinations. But those simple times were over. They were over once Naruto showed him the strength that he must surpass. He never knew what had become of the blonde haired boy, only knowing that he has been out of sight for the past three years. Anything was possible during those years but Sasuke found it for Naruto to be still alive, especially with those Hunter-nins that were reportedly dispatched after him. He knew of the demon which Naruto kept contained, and the hate the older generation of Leaf-nins held towards him. Surely there was no way a genin like Naruto to survive being pursued by such high level shinobis through those years.

His thoughts turned to the other member of Team 7. The pink-haired girl which had confessed her love to him that night so long ago. He felt compelled to accept her offer to end his, and ultimately, her loneliness but duty towards his deceased relatives and parents stayed his desires. Any possible feelings that he would have felt for her were now rendered void, now all that he has to live for would be the slaying of his brother. He idly wondered what would become of them should he accept her proposal, but such thoughts were useless.The life of an avenger was cruel but he knew the consequences before he accepted.

Jumping from the roof, Sasuke landed into a deserted alleyway before he walked into the street as another face in the crowd.

* * *

He moved through the streets of Hidden Stone with particular haste, the grey mantle he wore blending him into the dull granite ground perfectly. Flitting through the crowds, his presence was barely registered by the ordinary people who strolled blindly. It was routine for him to leave cities as soon as he reached them, for he never knew when that _man_ would appear, ever ready to find him and bring him back to the place of his birth. It would take him twenty minutes to reach the city's exit if all goes well, but knowing that the hunter-nins were ever present, it would take him much longer to exit the city unnoticed.

A sudden jolt of pain spread through his arm, eventually spreading to the other parts of his body. He took long and quick strides, his eyes searching desperately for a place where he could deal with his wound before pain overcame him. Turning into a deserted alley way, he backed against the wall for support, bracing himself for the torment that was to come Great pain coursed through his body, making him convulse violently as waves of blood red chakra ebbed from his body like a flowing river as he gripped his sword tightly. The torturous pain continued for several minutes before he finally slumped down, his ragged breathing slowly turning into a normal pace, his sword crashing to the ground as his grip loosened. He had learned to ignore the searing pain of his poisoned wound, but the effects they had on his body were unbearable. The price for his carelessness. He _really_ hated the Akatsuki.

He winced as the pain came back, though it was considerably less compared to the previous moment. He placed a hand on his wounded arm, feeling more relaxed as his chakra healed his injuries. He pumped in more chakra to ensure that he would never have to go through that horrible pain again. As his wounds were healed, his eyes came upon the tattoo on his right hand. It has been four years since he chose his path, and in those years, he became _strong_.

He smiled as the fox tattoo pulsed, as it energized him with newfound strength.

Making sure his hood was still concealing his face, he walked back out into the streets with his sword in tow, mingling in the crowd as another wandering traveler.

* * *

Sasuke strode purposefully, his eyes scanning the area, taking note of the streets which led to the important parts of the city. While his Sharingan was not as powerful in observation like the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan, it could be used not only as a recording device for copying jutsu but also by storing information about a particular place.

As he passed by a shop, he saw the happy faces of a complete family, content with each other's company. He stopped, silently watching from afar. The sight stirred feelings within the lonely boy, which reminded him of things that he lost. The love that his parents showered him with, the carefree times where he would bother his cousins to play, all of these were stolen from him on that fateful night.

_-"FATHER!!! MOTHER!!" He screamed, watching as their bodies lay still, dark red liquid flowing onto the floorboards. He ran to their sides, desperately shaking them as his tears flowed from his eyes. "Please, please, don't die…" His brother stood watching from the shadows, the triple marks of the Sharingan glowing with the color of blood.- _

_"Your not worth being killed, foolish brother." _

_"If you wish to kill me, develop hatred and grudges towards me…"_

_"And then…"_

_"Continue living pathetically." _

He clenched his hands, his heart hardening to the joyful family in front of him and moved off. He will kill Itachi, even if it's the last thing he did.

* * *

Sakura wandered about, noting the various landmarks with little or no interest. She had been walking about aimlessly for almost three hours now. There was nothing really special in the city that took her attention, but rather she used the time to focus on her thoughts. For one, she felt angry that Tsunade was being too soft on her, knowing that her teacher gave her time off to sort her troubled feelings. But in her heart, she felt gratitude for her sensei's concern though she knew that she didn't need it. She had gotten over Sasuke Uchiha. Or that's what she hoped to believe.

She took a turn into the street, and then she bumped into somebody. Taking a breath to apologize, her eyes took a look at the boy. Dark eyes greeted her, a spark of familiarity running through those eyes. And she immediately recognized those mysterious dark eyes since she knew there was only one person who could own such gems.

_Sasuke__-kun…_

He had grown taller, but that was to be expected of a growing boy. His hair style remained the same if not slightly longer. His face became more refined, giving him an arrogant air. But now he showed a look of shock, before it turned into indifference as always. Like last time. She felt her barriers crumbling as she gazed upon him after so long, her suppressed emotions running free from the hidden corners of her heart.

"Sasuke-kun, I-" She began to speak, wanting to tell him everything. Of how she missed him, about how much she loved him all this while, and about the ache he left in her heart. But she halted as the butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making her blush involuntary.

Those wonderful opal eyes stared at her, half-urging and half daring her to speak. She ignored her nervousness and pressed on, determined that nothing would prevent her from this. It was what she dreamt unconsciously every night, even though she didn't remember them. But she did, deep down where her heart hides.

"I love-"

"Don't say it." That stopped her, making the illusion disappear, leaving her to deal with the hurt that those emotions brought.

She stared at him with an unreadable expression, before turning away with downcast eyes. Sasuke looked away before he began to walk pass her. But a hand grasped his, and he turned to face Sakura once more.

"Come back with me," The girl pleaded, her jade orbs showing hope and sadness within. "Please." He looked into those eyes and almost agreed to her request to end both of their loneliness, before the harsh reality came crashing into him. He could never be with her, not until he killed Itachi And even then, he wasn't sure about a lot of things. Better to save her from the pain now. Gently, he shook her hand off from his, before regarding her in his eyes.

"I can't." He said, mustering as much hate as possible. "Move on with whatever you call a life."

He walked away, this time no hands came to stop him. He never once looked back, and even though his heart told him to, he never did. Sakura stood still as she watched him walk away a second time, and for the first time in many weeks, she cried. The tears flowing as the footsteps of a boy faded into the backdrop.

* * *

A/N: That's the end of Act I, folks! This chapter was more of a filler and introduction to the story and it touches on the relationship that Sakura and Sasuke have. For now, there may not be any pairings though I may make it a SakuSasu or a SakuNaru. I admit that there has been a certain lacking of action from Naruto's part, but I assure you all that he will appear in the next chapter. If you have any suggestions, please review and tell me about them, or if you wish, you can drop me a note at As always, if you like this story, please R&R!! Thank you all!

One Azn Dragon: I haven't decided on the pairings but rest assured, there WILL be no yaoi. I shudder to think otherwise. And don't worry, you will all find out about Naruto's powers soon enough! :P


	3. Act II: On the High Road

Disclaimer: If blood is green, and Nike shoes are cheap, then I own Naruto.

"...": Speech

_Italics_: Thoughts

**Bold**: Kyuubi

Of Blades and Blood

Act II: On the High Road

Tsunade stormed out of the meeting room of the leader of Hidden Stone, feeling more dead than alive after the heated discussion between herself and the Tsuchikage. The elusive and sly leader of hidden Stone had wanted to gain more than what she allowed to secure the alliance agreement, fully exploiting the fact that Leaf desperately needed allies, or at least, neutrality from the neighboring countries. All knew of the inevitable conflict between Leaf and the ever growing village of Sound, and waited to choose sides or none at all. However, even in their precarious state, she could not afford such a alliance that the expense of Konoha's weakening economic power, while the hard-eyed leader of the Hidden Stone would not accept anything less than those conditions he asked. This mutual disagreement led to a few hours of debating, neither one of them letting up. In the end, nothing was gained from the Tsuchikage except for a flimsy statement about how he would consider their proposal.

A whole lot of good that will do, she snorted. It was now unsafe for her and her bodyguards to stay any longer within Hidden Stone, not with the swarming amounts of shinobi assassins lurking about waiting for a shot. But it was already getting late and all of them needed rest. And while she was fairly sure that Orochimaru ad eyes and ears within the Hidden Stone, she wouldn't underestimate her bodyguards. Among her escorts was one Neji Hyuuga, the famed prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan, who had volunteered his services from the Assassination Squad to escort her to Hidden Stone. While his reasons for volunteering are unknown, Tsunade was sure his intentions were well meant, considering the straight record he had with the disciplinary committee. Besides, having his Byakugan ability during the mission made it easier for them to anticipate any ambushes that may have been laid for them, though that wasn't really a problem.

As she was walking away with her Jounin escorts, a familiar and hated presence made itself known, the dark pressure engulfing the hallway with meek silence. Soon, many heavy steps echoed throughout the empty hallways. Almost immediately, several shinobi bearing the forehead protector of Sound emerged from the many corridors of the Tsuchikage's citadel. Many of the sound-nins looked barely out of sixteen, face lacking any sort of expression save a barely controlled look which spoke of distain and rage. Tsunade noted with horror as she found all of them to possess the cursed seal which granted them unrivaled strength and fast destruction to themselves.

In the centre of the impassive crowd of enhanced Sound-nins stood Orochimaru, his form towering over his pupils like a imposing predator, his face cadaverous and gaunt from all the years practicing and developing forbidden ninjutsu from the dark caverns of his lair. His cheeks were sunken from the lack of flesh on his face, a few weird tattoos painted on his cheeks standing out on his pale skin. The snake like eyes which were so pronounced never changed even after switching bodies so many times.

Tsunade felt loathing and hate as she gazed upon their sickening color and the owner of those inhuman eyes once again after four years. Her guardians stiffened at the sight of their enemy before they positioned their bodies into a battle stance but Tusnade held them back with a look, saying that it was not the time nor the place. At first, they were unsure but visibly relaxed, though ready to jump into the fray should the traitorous snake-user try anything.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru hissed rather than said, "It's has been so long since I last saw you…"

The Fifth Hokage narrowed her eyes at the crafty ninja. "Yes, and I was quite happy to keep it that way until YOU showed up. Still playing with corpses I see." Orochimaru laughed at the statement, his amber eyes boring deep into her soul. "And you are still feisty," He said, amusement clearly in his tone. Which meant that he was planning something really bad, Tsunade thought. After all, one does not spend years around a person to not pick up on their habits.

"So you say, but who is it that is getting an upper hand in this game of politics?" She retorted. "Your creditability around the continent is astoundingly bad for someone who is a leader of a Hidden village." That wiped the smirk off his face as she predicted, taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't stand insults directed at his ability.

"You should watch your back, Tsunade," Orochimaru glared snidely at her, emphasizing his point with a wave towards his elite best. "You would never know about what lurks around…"

"Save it." She glared back at Orochimaru and his cohorts before turning back to her subordinates. "Let's go." She said with a indigiant air. With that, she left with the Jounnins in tow.

Watching the retreating forms of the Leaf-nins, Orochimaru smirked in amusement. His meeting with Tsunade of all people, here within the Earth country capital was surprisingly convenient for what his mind had schemed for some time. He turned to his honor guard, his eyes searching for a suitable candidate to complete his wishes flawlessly.

"Sakato." He decided, his eyes landing on a particularly frail-looking boy. Orochimaru's smile widened further as he remember the boy's recent achievements and capabilities, and quite satisfied to know that the boy was appropriate for the task he was about to give him. The Sound-nin bowed, his messy hair shadowing his face as he did. "Your orders, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Keep an eye on those Leaf-nins, and tell the others to attack when they leave the city." The boy bowed again, before disappearing in a white puff of smoke, leaving his companions and his master in the wide hallways. Orochimaru turned and walked towards the large double doors that led to the Tsuchikage's office.

_It was time to meet the Tsuchikage_, He thought with a grin.

* * *

She stopped crying a while ago, whether from the lack of tears or something else, she didn't know but she still felt like crap anyway. She vowed to forget him but everything she thought about him, those feelings came crashing back into her, making it more harder to deal with.

_Forget him, Sakura, concentrate..._ She told herself. She cheered as the feelings subsided and crept back into the broken container that was her heart. But she knew in a deep corner of her mind that such a reprieve wouldn't last for long, it never did. Night would come and the dreams would haunt her in her sleep. She pushed back those thoughts, forcing herself to be more aware of her surroundings.

Sakura waited silently for her companions to leave the huge building that was the Administration building of Stone. Her tears were long since dried and her sorrow buried in her heart for later. The doors to the complex opened revealing her team mates and a highly irate Fifth Hokage. She went to them, wondering what made her teacher so mad, all thoughts about Sasuke forgotten.

"Sakura, take a scan of the surroundings." Tsuande immediately ordered her, a scowl on her face. She didn't argue, and did the hand seals which allowed her special sight. For a while all she saw was the usual chakra flowing within the people on the streets, then the flux of chakra produced by her and the others. Since she needed a focus, she could only see a general outline of blue and she conjectured that Tsunade wanted her to find something out of place. All seemed normal but then something caught her eye, a strange sickly color of blackish yellow upon one of the taller buildings nearby.

"I see someone," She began as her eyes glowed. "Someone strong enough to rival us."

"Right, focus on that and search again." Tsunade urged her student.

She scanned again, this time specifically for that strange chakra signature. And this time, she gasped. Instead of one, she found many hues of that blackish yellow all around them, waiting like depraved vultures ready to pounce upon them at a moment's notice.

Shit.

"Tsunade-sama-" A hand from Tsunade silenced her. "I know, I know." Sakura looked confused at that before she caught sight of Neji. _Of course, as one would expect from a Hyuuga_, she thought as deactivated her jutsu. Her own eye abilities were overshadowed by the Byakugan and for a good reason. Almost 360 degrees of perfect sight coverage and the ability to single out individual chakra signatures from a five-mile radius, that was the power of the bloodline which made the Hyuuga one of the most, if not the best, clans in Konoha.

"All right, boys," Tsunade said, clapping her hands once to get their attention. "Its regrettable but there is a change of plans." The Jounins didn't look surprised, only a mild interest showing on their faces. They were used to this type of thing, after all.

Neji spoke up, the first time in many hours. "Then what should we do?" With day starting to turn into night and so many adversaries waiting for the second they step out of the city, Sakura reckoned that there was only one thing they could do for the moment.

"We stay for the night." She heard Tsunade say, a soft bed and rest visualizing in her mind. But that has been dashed when the random thought of Uchiha Sasuke crossed her mind, the dams broke and she felt the tears welling along with an ache in her heart, much to her chagrin.

Sleep would not come to her tonight. Not this night.

* * *

There was once a time when he drunk and fooled around like there was no tomorrow, only to mask how tired and frustrated he was at the world, and to find himself in the next morning having a killer hangover. However, even in this state, a bottle of sake would indefinitely find its way into his hands.

Jiraiya sighed, red tinting his face as the alcohol worked into his system, letting the heat fill his throat. He had to admit, albeit a little groggily, that the sake in Hidden Stone was good and the women of pleasure even better. His reddened face took a more crimson turn, if that was even possible, at the thought. He would have wanted to stay longer in the city but the women had already left and the Sake all but gone, he found no other choice but to head back onto the high road of wandering.

And so here he was, ready to leave the Earth capital to wander until he found another spot to visit. He seemed to be heavily intoxicated to most that saw him, but in actual fact, he was keenly observing the passers-by, his eyes and sense trying to find the one he has spent four years in effort trying to track. Alcohol could not stop the Sannin from using the fullest extent of his abilities, as his body burned and absorbed alcohol like a continual sponge if he wanted to; making sure that Jiraiya could get back to his senses even after consuming the most potent of sake and wine. A side effect of having naturally fast chakra regeneration. It was already evening since he left the city and it was already getting dark.

It didn't help in the fact that his tracking abilities were renowned throughout the shinobi world and yet even he failed to come across his quarry even once during those four years, the night making it all the more difficult for him. Even so, he hadn't given up and wasn't going to anytime soon. But with only doubtful leads to follow up on, despair and futility seemed a almost certain prospect to Jiraiya, making his search seem a fruitless cause every time his leads led to a dead end. Perhaps, he may even quit searching for the boy, resigning to the realistic views that Tsunade herself had just two years prior. But now was not such. And for now, he would preserve.

Luck was with him today as he caught faint scents of his target, indicating that he had not long passed by this section of forest. However he felt that he was not alone. He noticed that the shadows tended to move and that the surroundings were awfully quiet for such lush vegetation. Deciding to cut to the chase, he said loudly.

"Come out. I know you're there."

"As expected from one of the legendary Sannin." A voice from nowhere and everywhere said. In a blink of an eye, four shapes came into existence several feet in front of him. Jiraiya saw the familiar patterns etched into the fabricated cloaks they wore and frowned. One of them carried a huge sword, though it looked like a giant stab of iron rather than a sword, his arms think and wide with muscles. Another had cropped hair like a broom who had the ruined forehead protector of Cloud, a set of katars strapped to his arms, while the other two were fully cloaked, whose forehead protector told that they were form the Hidden Mist.

"We are from the Akatsuki," The one with katars said, the crimson cloud pattern making him ominous to most, but on Jiraiya its effect was lost. He possessed a twitch in his right eye which Jiraiya didn't like at all.

"You followed me." He accused openly. The leading Akatsuki member merely smiled, revealing long canines which reminded him of a wolf. "Yes, of course we did. Though now I was wondering when you would notice us…" Jiraiya became confused, before all of it sunk in. The Akatsuki weren't here for him but for who _he_ was following. _Brat…what have you done now? _

"You are after Naruto?" He asked testily, his hands itching to perform the seals which would fry the four S-class criminals into ash once he obtained enough information. The news he heard about Naruto were almost non-existence though Jiraiya knew that the boy was doing a good job at keeping himself concealed from his senses. And those from the Akatsuki, he could see. Quite an achievement, he would have said, if not for situation he was in. The fact that the Akatsuki, a group known for brutality and incredibly powerful ninjas, would want with, as far as he knew, a dead last ninja bothered him greatly. The possibility of Naruto gaining vast strength on his own was next to impossible. And the amount of manpower that the organization had put in the search was irrational just to obtain the power of Kyuubi, considering that they often worked in pairs and not in groups due to their limited numbers. Things just didn't add up.

"Naruto?" The slightly deranged Akatsuki member asked in response as he tilted his head, a slightly confused on his face. "Who?" Jiraiya became even more confused. _If they weren't here for Naruto, then who are they looking for?_

"The one I am trailing is a low level genin that isn't worth your time. Now leave."

At that statement, the other man laughed. "Low level? Genin?! You must be joking. But I don't think his name was Naruto whatsoever." The man snorted, "But then again, you could be buffing in order to trick us!" Jiraiya frowned, the missing nin words not making sense at all. It was as if Naruto was another person entirely. But before anymore information could be spilled, the one with the Hidden Cloud emblem stopped him.

"Kazami, quit it. We got a job to do." The man in question composed himself, before his eyes turned to the Sannin, an odd sort of smile coming onto his lips. "Well, it seems that we have been compromised. Time to clear the evidence."

Seeing that the four ninjas drop into a battle stance, Jiraiya immediately did the hand-seals of jutsu he had been holding for a while. "_Fire element: Flame Cannon_!"

A streak of hot flames emerged from his mouth, sending the four ninjas dodging from the lethal flame. But his intention wasn't to damage the four nins, oh no, it would take more than that to do. The stream died down, but not before covering the whole area in a thick veil of darkness, which was exactly Jiraiya's intent. Taking one four A-class missing nins wasn't going to be easy and the only way he could win was through surprise and deceit. Something that he more or less lacked in his combat style since his early years. But now, he had no choice unless he wanted to live to see the next sunrise.

Using his other senses and instincts rather than on sight, Jiraiya struck out, his hands striking an unknown form within the smog. There was a groan of pain was heard before there was nothingness. But then he was thrown back by a sudden force. A gale began clearing the smog, exposing five dark shapes on the dirt road. Jiraiya was surprised but slowly stooped into his ox-form. But as he bent his knees, a sharp pain in his leg made him fall. _What happened?!_, he thought furiously as he tried to use his chakra to heal his muscle, gritting his teeth as the pain only doubled.

Lying helpless, he looked up to see the smog finally cleared, Jiraiya took a glance at the new comer who stood in front of him, facing the four Akatsuki members. Wearing a grey cloak which obscured almost all of his body from view, Jiraiya found it hard to catch a look as his back was facing to him and it seemed that the stranger also wore a hood. At his side was a long sheathed sword, its hilt decorated with dull looking jewels.

"Karaichi Seizou, I presume? We had a hard time tracking you, and it was because of the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya that we were able to finally meet." Kazami said with fake pleasantry thickly oozing from his voice. The hooded figure merely stayed silent, his hand grasping the hilt on his sword as he observed the four men with mild interest. He ignored the silent Jiraiya who stood behind him. He would deal with him later.

"What of it?" A voice devoid of all feeling answered. "Are you here to kill me?" A sudden chill spread through Jiraiya at the voice's iciness. _This aura, this strong killing intent…its-!_

Kazami shrugged. "Not that it was our intention though, if you joined us."

"So you are recruiting me? Is that it?" The pieces finally clicking in his head.

"Ah, you're interested, yes? Our organization could use someone of your caliber."

A snort was his answer. "A fascinating proposition no doubt. But I'm sure there is a catch to all of this." At that the other man gave a loopy smile. "Good to know that you're sharp." But it was then his smile died, his tone becoming harsh as he spoke. "You will assist us in killing the Sannin Jiraiya, as a part of the . Refuse and die." At this, the cloaked figure pondered for a while, before finally, his lips curled into a wide grin.

"I refuse." This shocked the missing-nin and it showed on his face. "What did you say?"

"I refuse." The man repeated with amusement in his voice. Jiraiya was positively sure that the man in front of him was insane. Only a fool would dare challenge four A-class missing-nins outnumbered. He had been ready to take all of them on, the strange man included, should they gang up on him, and he was confident of taking them on. But he wanted to know exactly what the enigmatic person could do and what his intentions were.

Kazami's features hardened, motioning to the other missing-nins. "Then you shall die." But before they could do anything, the mysterious man laughed. "Are you serious?!" He asked, his laughter died as fast as it came. "Though the question would be whether you lot could kill me."

"You overestimate yourself. It is your loss that you have offended the Akatsuki."

The hooded man smirked. "Or so you say."

Not wasting anymore time, Kazami signified his comrades to attack. Even as they got closer and closer, the figure just stood, waiting for them to come. Just as the first blow was about to land, the man blocked it all with his sword in a flash, positioning all of the weapons to accommodate the length of his sword like a skilled puppeteer. _What the-!,_ the Akatsuki members reeled back in shock. Even Jiraiya had a hard time believing that it was possible to achieve such speed! But somehow, the mysterious man did it.

"Now, now," Seizou chided slightly, "Four against one is what I hardly call fair. But…" His eyes became hauntingly crimson, a thin slitted iris in place of a normal oval one, like the eyes of a demon. "That's how I like it."

Immediately, he got free of the deadlock and stared at the four. His grin widened even further, as a breeze came by, making his hair flutter.

"It has been quite some time since I had good opponents…" Kazami growled in response at the statement, having had enough of this nonsense. Without warning, he charged head first, his katars aiming to sever the offending head. _Slice…_ The blow managed to shred the hood of the sword user as he dodged at the last moment, causing blonde locks to spill freely. Looking at his ruined hood, his grin faded to be replaced with seriousness. Jiraiya was frozen with shock as he recognized that same tone which his

"Play time's over." Almost instantly, the blonde man flipped the reversed side of his sword over, his form flickered then appearing on the other side of his opponents, his back towards their own.

The Akatsuki members looked over their bodies curiously, finding no visible wounds inflicted on them, oddly feeling a chill running through their bodies though they were fully clothed. Kazami laughed. "What type of shit technique was that?!" He readied his katars for another strike at the passive man. "Die!" But as he swung his arm, he felt an immeasurable pain surging through his arm, finding it cascading into the air a moment later. Then he felt the same pain in his left leg as he landed awkwardly on the ground, only to find it slanted uselessly on the ground. All over his body he felt that hellish pain. Using the last of his strength to turn his head, he saw the others bleeding heavily from their eyes, noses and mouths. Then each one of them convulsed as blood from their wounds started soaking through their clothes.

"You will live, don't worry." The blonde said, not bothering to look at the man sprawled behind him. "It will take much more to slay you guys…"

"…You…" He found his voice as his life dripped away onto the warm soil below, and then hearing the sudden growing whine that threatened to burst his ears. "What…are you…?"

'Seizou' ignored him as he sheathed his sword, his eyes turning back into its deep blue color.

"You heard the sound, didn't you?" He asked instead, the wind playing with his golden hair as he smiled. The missing-nin didn't respond as torrents of blood began trickling down from his mouth, a gurgle of blood foaming as he tried. The blonde gave a snort at the critically wounded man.

'Seizou' turned to face the Sannin, his features fully revealed to the injured Jiraiya.

Cradling his leg a few meters back, the Toad-Sannin had a look of disbelief, horror and fear, even though deep down he knew when he saw that face, there was no mistake that it was him, it was just that he refused to believe it. The hints and clues were already right in front of him but possibility of the boy becoming so…_changed _was a distant odd. He wished that he would find the same unchanged brat everyday, having it almost becoming a nagging voice in the back of his head but now he wished he did so under different circumstances. Not here, not now. But as it stands, 'Karaichi Seizou' was the one and the same boy he last saw four years ago.

He still retained that radiant golden hair, which he had grown down until his shoulders and he had still those same eyes which were now sapphire. But the scene was so _wrong_. It was like some sick sight taken out from a nightmare, the only difference was that it was _real_, and would have stayed that way if not for a voice jerked him from his thoughts, forcing him right back into reality as watching eyes bored into him.

"It's been a while, Ero-sennin."

_It couldn't be him! It cannot possibly be…!_

But no matter what he thought, his eyes did not lie.

Standing so ever calmly as dusk started to settle in the background was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

A/N: To those who have waited patiently and reviewed, I thank you all for your support! I apologize if things seem to go very fast but the pace will slow down after Act III. The past week has been nothing but rough on me, with school beginning to slip back into the monotony of hours upon hours of unending study. Despite this…setback, I managed to devote my time to writing Act III which is more or less 60 completed, so I will try to quicken my pace to churn out more chapters. Also, starting from Act III, the word length of each chapter will be significantly increased, as the story takes shape in those later chapters. From this, you could say that all was written to this point were 'plot setters'. Of course, the advantages of longer word length are fairly obvious but also this comes with a price as chapters will take longer to complete. But do not fret; I will try my utmost best to write in such terrible conditions. With any luck, I will be able to post Act III by the middle of next week or even earlier perhaps. To the people asking whether this would be a Sasu/Saku or Saku/Naru, it would be both though it would lean to the Sasu/Saku side. Till then, read and review please!

One Azn Dragon: Yup, Naruto's using a reversed edge but that's not really the one he uses sword, it's a stand in. You can contact when I'm on msn though the timing may be irregular.

Sirus183: I am planning to make them meet somewhere in the later chapters. How? I'm not going to tell… :)


	4. Act III: Denial

Disclaimer: What is written is merely a distortion of reality. A view warped to suit the fittings of the mind. But enough of the mysticism which can cause headaches. For a simple translationà Me no own. Me no moolah. No lawyers please.

A/N: Before I continue, I would like to thank all those who have waited patiently for this chapter to be finished. I do not claim that it would be perfect, but I know I have put my best into this, and I am proud of it, no matter where it would lead. But I am sure you all would like to know the reason for this 2 month delay. The reason being would be the long word length involved in this chapter and not to mention writer's block. Subsequently every other chapter onwards would be around 10k, the progression should be faster because of the miasma of ideas I have in my head, but that does not guarantee that it would take 2 weeks or less to complete. But that would be typical of me, no:P Anyway…let the show go on!

"...": Speech

_Italics_: Thoughts

**Bold**: Kyuubi

Of Blades and Blood

Act III: Denial

"…Naruto?" Jiraiya asked slowly, his mind still at odds with reason and belief, as his leg seared with almost unbearable pain.

He looked at the man-, no, boy in front of him again. He had did not have the same air of confidence and energy like he did four years past, but instead a chilly aura of callousness had taken its place. He had grown taller during those last four years, now almost reaching to his height. His hair which was once short and spiky was now lengthy and straight, his fringe cascading over his forehead unrestrained by a forehead protector, though it was not long enough to cover his eyes. The whisker marks he had on his cheeks were now gone, but how the boy had managed to do it, he wasn't really sure. His features were sullen but his _eyes…_there was a wild glint in his eyes which said otherwise about the calm façade he was showing to the rest of the world. The way his eyes took in light without reflecting it back, it was almost unnatural. But the thought led to the lingering question of what he had been doing these past four years.

"Answer me!"

Naruto ignored him, but instead pointed to the injured leg he was cradling. "Channel your chakra using Ox, Tiger, Snake and Bird, and then try again." Jiraiya was dubious but did so anyway, feeling relieved as the pain subsided from his leg. But he frowned as a realization occurred to him.

"You did that paralyzing jutsu on me when we were in the smoke, didn't you?" He accused, his eyes glaring at the boy. How else would he know how to cure the ailment? The blonde nodded, brushing off the glare from the Sannin as if it was nothing.

"It was for your own good," He reasoned, buckling his sword to his waist, "I can't have you dieing on me since you were once my teacher, albeit a slow one. I'm not that ungrateful after all."

Jiraiya said nothing. Whatever tricks or tactics he had to persuade Naruto to go back were instantly washed away with the emergence of this new personality. But he couldn't give up now, not when he was so close and perhaps he could get the old Naruto back. He got up, relishing the feeling in his legs and dusted off his hands.

Naruto, seeing that all was said and done, began walking in away. A question broke his pace.

"Why did you leave?"

He turned his head back, sapphire eyes now staring hard at his former teacher, making the Sannin feel a chill through his bones. "I'm not obliged to say. Perhaps you could tell me why?"

Jiraiya snorted at him. "Long story short, you are just another case of Uchiha Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed at the comment, those same eyes turning into a light shade of crimson before reverting back to deep blue. "I am nothing _like_ him, and I sure as hell don't go about betraying people." He spat, feeling angry to be compared to _Sasuke_.

"Then I am sure you will come back with me. To Konoha." Jiraiya so-matter-of-factly said. Naruto looked at Jiraiya with a hint of distain, his eyebrows arching as he glared at him.

The response was unexpectedly firm. "No."

Jiraiya looked at the boy in front of him, his features hardening. "It's been four years since anyone last saw you and I WILL bring you bring you back, using force if necessary." Jiraiya threatened. He would fight if he had to, even though he wasn't guaranteed victory due to his lack of knowledge about his abilities, though he was fairly sure that his binding would hold him long enough until they reached Konoha. He found those changed eyes staring at him, sizing him up, similar to just a few minutes prior when he faced down the Akatsuki lackeys. While he had taken managed to take on four A-rank missing-nins, it was waiting game that he played which made short work of them. Naruto had no such advantage over him.

"Do you honestly think you can?" Naruto asked in a causal tone, his fingers slinking to the hilt of his sword, enjoying the rough texture of it in his hand. Jiraiya knew that the boy was bluffing but he was tempted to find out how much stronger Naruto had become but he stayed his hand, opting to wait for a more preferable opportunity instead. Whether Naruto liked it or not, he was coming back with him.

Silence.

"I thought so. But…" Naruto remained silent for a moment before whipping around, a grin on his face, his mood changing as fast as a storm. "I shall agree to your request under two conditions."

Jiraiya was baffled now, his mind jutsu all but forgotten; by all rights, Naruto had nothing to gain by agreeing. This unexpected move on Naruto's part puzzled him greatly but if he was going to come willingly, he wasn't going to let it slip away. "Go on…" He asked with a healthy dose of doubt. He had to remind himself this wasn't the same boy whose determination he had found admirable and had taken him up as a student. He saw the old Naruto crumble, only to be replaced by this boy who was just, if not more perplexing. Or was it that he had just as many more masks to hide in?

"I want to remain known as 'Karaichi Seizou'." It was a strange request, but it was acceptable in any case. It was then while looking at him, he saw how different he was from the Naruto of the past. From the outside, he looked every bit of what Naruto would look like when he grew. But from within, he could tell that Naruto was already dead to the world. The Naruto he knew was never like this, and never so guarded in spite of the harsh life he endured. _And never that powerful_, a small voice in the back of his head whispered.

He didn't really like that voice.

"Secondly, I will not answer any questions regarding my four year…" He paused, trying to find the right word, "…absence."

Jiraiya frowned, shaking his head to clear his thoughts but he nodded his acceptance of those terms absently, the whole thing turning out better than he first expected. But the nagging voice in his head was still there. "What about the Akatsuki?" He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the fallen bodies, Naruto giving him a smug look.

"What do you think?" He had asked in return, compelling Jiraiya to tilt his head towards the bodies, only to find the ground empty save for several puddles of blood, the sight not really surprising him. It was going to be troublesome if they came back to stalk them again, but that was expected from the Akatsuki. The Nine had employed lackeys into their ranks. He could deal with them later; his attention was needed on more pressing matters.

Jiraiya regarded Naruto with a look, before he turned back to the direction which led to the Stone capital.

"We will go back to the city for a rest and leave at dawn." He said, not looking back to see whether the boy was following him. The footsteps against the earth telling him all he needed to know.

* * *

Konoha!

Why of all places, did he agree to go to Konoha! He fumed within himself, as he watched as dusk turned to night, his footsteps following in tune with Jiraiya's.

He didn't know what made him accept that proposal in the first place but he supposed it didn't matter either way. He wasn't fond of it but he had no place in mind to go next and he didn't really care as long as no one recognized him. His sense of irony probably had a hand in making the decision, as well as the Kyuubi; he was certain that the fox loved irony.

He laughed when he saw the look in the Sannin's eyes. Did that man really expect him to be happy to see him after four years? Was it hope he saw in the old man's eyes? He snorted. He had dealt with loneliness before, hell, he dealt with it his entire life, so what was another a decade or so to him? The Ero-sennin certainly didn't know that, not that he cared in any case; he had stopped caring a long time ago.

Nor did he care when he saw the despairing look in Jiraiya's eyes, praying that he would tell him that it was all a dream and that he was still the same, stupid Naruto after all this time, asking him to turn back into the weak little boy that needed shielding. It was laughable, really but he was also angry at Jiraiya for that. He was his own person, and they had robbed him of his free will once, and he would not allow that to happen again. He would be act how he wanted to act. It was _his_ choice alone.

Did he want to change? He found himself asking. Did he want to revert back into his previous self? He didn't really know, though tempted he was to change, to give up this lonesome existence, to be acknowledged once more by those he cared about. But to do so was to be weak, and he hated every moment he was weak, the bitter feeling of helplessness still fresh in his mind.

No, if that was what it meant to change, then he rather be the same cursed person that he was now. He was alone, no matter what anyone would say. But he had power, and that by itself makes it worth the pain and burdens he had to carry. He chosen his path, and he intended to walk it.

But even if he wanted to, he could never go back. The Kyuubi made sure of it. But was the need to be strong such a detestable thing? He asked himself.

And was it really worth it? At this, he felt a tiny speck doubt before the thought was shoved away, never to be brought up again. He reprimanded himself for asking such a question. He was happy, after all, wasn't he? Though he reassured himself with those thoughts, there was an irksome voice saying otherwise, sowing the seeds of regret and pain in his mind.

_Continue to lie to yourself, to ease the suffering_, the irritating voice told him. _I thought you were strong._

_Shut up._ It opened up his old wounds, pain reacquainting itself with his heart again. The voice never returned, banished into the depths of his mind. But the pain remained. He was happy, wasn't he? The question burning in his mind.

He didn't know the answer, letting himself a small smile before he slipped into another of his masks to hide from the horrible pain.

* * *

Sakura stared upon night sky, watching as the stars twinkled from above. A breeze drafted the cool air at her, sending a few shivers along her spine even through the thick padded vest she wore always when she was outside. Sighing, she rubbed her hands for warmth. It was late already and most of her companions have slept, leaving her with guard duty, but she did it by her own choice. She needed time to think. About anything but _him_.

Continuing to stare from the roof top of the hotel aimlessly, she didn't notice the sharp sound of opening and closing of the door behind her. Her muscles tensioned but then relaxed, her chakra enhanced senses telling her that the newcomer was of no threat to her_. Not that there is a sufficient lack of those who could be_, she thought.

"Haruno," An arrogant voice spoke, "Might I ask who's supposed to be on duty tonight?"

Oh, him. "Yeah, whatever, Neji." She said, her tone stating that her mind was elsewhere and that she wished to be left alone. Neji frowned. But walking walk was the last thing the Hyuuga was going to do, at least not until he confirmed his conjectures.

"You saw him today, didn't you?" It was more of a statement than a question coming from him.

Sakura didn't answer, silence filling the air save for the soft city noises in the background.

"I will take that as a yes."

"…"

Neji wanted to say something, but didn't out of sheer will. He known about Sakura's "condition" since the day she was assigned to the special ops group. How did she actually manage to get transferred to that detachment was beyond him, it was a bothersome thing at first knowing how weak she was with her ninjutsu and taijutsu compared to the rest of the squad. But those thoughts were banished once he saw how proficient she was at her trade of healing. On many an occasion, she had saved their lives many times, his included. Over time, he gradually began to treat her more as a shinobi rather than an excess burden. His concern for her was purely platonic, if not as a comrade, then as a friend. But some things have their limits. Such as his patience.

"Look, I'm am trying to say is that you should focus on the mission now," He continued, his pearly white eyes staring in disapproval. "Whatever troubling you can wait, especially in our line of duty." Sakura turned to him, an odd fire in her eyes which Neji recognized as unbridled rage along with something else. Even without the Byakugan, he could sense her chakra gathering . He widened his eyes as understanding dawned upon him and he jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the intense beam which shot from her eyes. A jutsu that was unique to her alone, due to her almost perfect chakra control.

Then it stopped, leaving a scorched mark on the wall. Sakura, realizing what she had done, began to apologize profusely. "Sorry, sorry, sorry-"

Neji just shook his head, accepting the apology before his features hardened. "Think about it." He said, the pink haired kunoichi flinching a bit. "For your sake."

She didn't answer, nodding her head absently as she resumed her star gazing. Neji gave her one last look, shaking his head in hopelessness before retiring towards his room. Sakura sighed, her body leaning against the railings. Several long minutes past, before another creak of the door alerted her to another's presence.

"Still reminiscing, I see." She jumped at the sudden sound. It was Tsunade-sensei's voice; though it was a bit slurred she could still tell it was her.

"Tsunade-sama, I-"

Tsunade gave Sakura a look which showed and betrayed nothing, taking a sip at the flask of sake she held. "I know, I know. But sometimes it's best to move on from the past, before you get hurt even worst." It was another of her prep-speeches, and it was beginning to irritate her. For almost the past two years, she had been subtly giving her hints to move on, no matter how much she tried to be the perfect, emotionless pupil. Her urgings didn't help much and even caused more grief until she requested that her sensei desist in her efforts, but somehow it always felt as if she was the one at fault, because she wasn't strong enough to move on from **him**. And it was true, she knew. Even if she didn't want to admit it.

Sakura gave her a deprecating smile, and the semi-drunk Hokage looked her over.

"Get some sleep; you look like hell." She winced. Even in the state, Tsunade-sensei still was able to tell The girl nodded, gingerly making her way to the door from the roof. Tsunade watched Sakura's retreating form until she left before turning around.

"Come out, I know your there."

There was a loud 'plod' and she squinted at the source, only to obscured by the shadows of the night. There were more 'plods' before it reached into the light. Long drapes of cloth and silk were wrapped around the body of the toad, covered by a midnight blue outfit which resembled what a human envoy would wear, though it was modified both by size and design to fit the toad. Oddly enough, it fitted the regal toad immensely It was strange sight to see a toad in such a manner, but it was a toad nonetheless.

And that was the reason she linked the green amphibian to the ever wandering Jiraiya, whom of she hasn't seen him for the last four years, not counting the semi-incoherent drabble she seemed to receive at times from his creatures. What could possibly be the motive for him to find her this time?

"Jiraiya-sama requests that you read this." The exquisitely toad-envoy croaked, its throat expanding widely as it handed her a scroll. Seeing that its task delivered safely, it disappeared into white smoke with neither word nor explanation save the noise of its departure, leaving Tsunade with only confusion and apprehension in her mind.

* * *

It was early in the morning; with the sun just starting to rise, and the people beginning to move to and fro in the city streets. Though it wasn't too early, not even in the slightest definition in the shinobi world for there was never a time which was too early fro them. Jiraiya leaned against the hard bricked wall, watching from the corner of eye the boy who stood a few meters away. He noticed that Naruto had changed his hair color from a golden blonde to chestnut brown just recently, for it wasn't that color the hour before. He didn't know how he did it, but hadn't changed his expression any bit, the blank look still on his face. The feeling of dread and regret welled in his chest, but it was easier to deal with now that the boy changed his appearance, reminding him less of his failure as a teacher.

He wanted to make amends, but whether or not the boy would forgive him, he could only hope. The blank looks he received from Naruto didn't promise much, only telling him that he was dead to the world at the moment. What happened to the vibrant and obnoxious brat who looked on at life with such enthusiasm? From the short time he spent with the silent boy, he found out many changes he had undergone since his disappearance. Instead of anxiety, it was replaced by calmness and instead of impatience; he saw wisdom that was beyond his years. All the qualities of an efficient shinobi were now found in Naruto, but instead of calming his mind, Jiraiya found those changes unsettling. But change wasn't always good and he found something worse in those eyes, something he overlooked before when the boy revealed himself.

A gaze he himself hadn't seen. But he knew it was dark and filled with unspeakable things.

Where had Naruto been all these years? Jiraiya didn't know the answer to that nagging voice plaguing him. But all will be answered in time. He could only believe it was so.

Tearing his gaze away from the despondent boy, his eyes turned to Tsunade who he saw approaching from the distance, along with her escorts. He smiled himself a small grin knowing it was another time for a reunion, and all would be well again. Just like it has been.

If he had been more attentive, he would have seen a barely noticeable curving of the boy's lips.

* * *

Tsunade eyed the Jounins at her side with calculative eyes, looking them over to evaluate their combat readiness for the day. The Hyuuga boy, she noted, was ready and well rested, no small part due to his chakra training. The other two Jounins looked bored but were fresh from the night's rest, though that may change soon. Her eyes then came upon her protégé, and instantly she noticed the worried creases along with an almost haggard expression on her face. She frowned, her lip curling inwards with displeasure. It seems that the girl was still unable to get some rest despite her urging. Though she could sympathize, at the rate she was going, Tsuande was sure that the girl would die due to fatigue rather than by the hands of enemy shinobi. She was going tell off the girl about getting enough rest one of these days, but for now there was nothing else she could do.

They were going to leave today, and meet up with Jiraiya at the southern gate. That was her agenda and if all goes well, they would avoid any traps set by Orochimaru and reach Konoha within five days. Any attack to them would occur outside the city. She knew that Orochimaru wasn't stupid enough to risk a frontal assault on her within the jurisdiction of the Tsuchikage, even with so many open opportunities to strike. Like Leaf, the Sound wanted to forge alliances with as many hidden villages as possible, though that goal may be hindered due to the unsavory reputation of being a backstabber that Orochimaru garnered over the years.

Soon, she was able to make out two silhouettes from the morning mist, the fog thinning with every step they took towards them, eventually revealing Jiraiya and another boy that was with him. She could deal with questioning him later, for now it was time for etiquette as demanded from him to her, no matter how much both of them detested it.

"Tsunade." He greeted, a placid smile on his face which was all but a mask to hide his weariness. She smirked mentally, knowing that he didn't expect her to know but she knew anyway; she knew better than he did. They all had their masks to hide in, after all.

"It's been a long time, Jiraiya." She returned the greeting, letting a smile creep onto her face. Like Jiraiya, it was a mask she wore, all the worries and problems pushed deep within her mind, to focus solely on the person in front of her. And that was the mask that kept The questions she had wanted to ask at bay, after reading the vague letter of his.

The morning wind breezed passed them as they stood silence, not needing any words for there was nothing more to be said. Both hated long reunion speeches and as such the silence was satisfactory for them. She took a good look at the Toad-sannin, as she had always done when they became reacquainted after so long away from each other's company.

Jiraiya, she saw, hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him, with only a few lines of age were showing on his face, but other than that, he was still the same unchanging Jiraiya she knew for the last few decades. It was good to know that some things never changed. Then she laid eyes on the boy next to him. She was surprised that Jiraiya had taken On the lean side of things; not too skinny or too muscular, she noted. Long brown hair which spilled neatly about his mantle, reminding her of the similar hairstyles people had back in Konoha. There was something about his eyes … Sapphire orbs which reminded her of someone she knew a long time ago…they reminded her of Naruto. But he was dead, the fact glaring in her face, and she dropped the thought altogether.

"Who is this?" She heard herself ask as brief memories flashed through her mind.

* * *

The lack of sleep was catching up to her; already she could felt the dull ache in her body with every step she took. But she willed herself to be vigilant for she took pride in the fact that she was a shinobi. Though that was something she said over and over, as if to convince herself and to push on with life. She needed to cling onto some sense of reason and that was the only thing she could rely on. She continued to listen as the Sannin moved to introduce his taciturn companion. She heard much about the Toad-sannin from Tsunade, most of it not flattering in the least. Though how much of it was true, remains to be seen.

"This is my drinking partner and part-time student, Karaichi Seizou." She heard Jiraiya say, a frown appearing as the words sank in. _Drinking partner?_ The whole concept that one of the legendary Sannin bringing a drinking partner along to their trip was dubious to her but Tsunade waved her suspicion off with a laugh. Somehow, she suspected that it was one of his unusual habits. She almost swore that she saw the mysterious boy smirk at the Sannin's words, but perhaps it was due to her tired and overtaxed senses. She looked him over, already a few conclusions bouncing in her still functioning head.

From what she could tell, he didn't seem really impressive, though the hood blocked most of his face from the outside view. His frame, by her estimations, was rather lean, not actually showing any indications of significant strength in his body, whether true or not she would find out later. Her interest was sparked as her eyes landed on the sheathed sword bound to his waist, mentally marking him as a weapon-user, though whether or not he was on the same level as Ten Ten she would find out later. She hadn't had much hope for the stranger though, for Ten-ten, after all, was the best users of weapons in Konoha. And that was really much all she could gleam after only a first encounter.

But for now, all she wanted was to go back home and slink back into peaceful oblivion.

* * *

Neji looked at the Sannin and then at the silent boy next to him, noting that he wasn't really anything impressive. The blade that was in his sash only served to confirm his own thoughts about the boy; he was weak, as were most weapon users he had faced, and probably wouldn't survive should Sound shinobis ambush them along the way back to Leaf, which was by itself a high possibility ever since he scanned the city by the Hokage's request. How did he know? It was simple really, for he seen many like his kind before, swordsmen and mercenary alike were fodder compared to the superior caste of the shinobis. Lacking both the skill and fortitude to take on ninjas, why did they even bother to fight against such superior odds, he didn't really know.

He bore into the boy with his eyes, as if trying to discern any secrets that may be kept hidden within those shifting blue eyes.

* * *

He caught Neji giving him a look and he was amused that the Hyuuga didn't have the decency to look embarrassed.

Some things never change, he mused. The Hyuuga still wore the same white vest he had when he was still a Genin, the only difference about him was the dark green Jounin vest was worn over it. The rest of old lady Tsunade's entourage were unfamiliar to him

Jiraiya and Tsuande-baba were in front of the group, and were being awfully quiet, which was good in some aspects but also troubling in others. Though knowing Jiraiya, he would try to give subtle hints about his identity. After all, would they want to lose their weapon a second time? Unconsciously, Naruto licked his lips in delight before he shook off the sudden surge of blood lust along with a fair amount of angry at the thought.

A sudden pain in his hand caused him to lift it up to find his fingers turned to long bone-white claws, their outline glowing with a red hue which Naruto found hard to ignore. He fought down the growing urge of madness and sighed with relief as his hand shifted back to normal.

A second surge of Kyuubi's chakra screamed through his pores, catching him unaware and this time the strain of both masking and containing it took most of his will power. The Kyuubi had dumped some bothersome things onto him, much more than he was willing to take, but he didn't complain. Those who had sold their souls didn't have that luxury.

He had managed to mask his pain, but unfortunately, it would attract some attention onto his being because of the alluring property of the demon chakra. So it wasn't surprising to him when the pink haired girl turned to him with curiosity in her jade orbs, letting him take a good look of her after so long.

Ah, yes, Sakura-chan. How long was it seen he had last seen her? Three years? Or perhaps even four? He had lost count.

She grew back her hair it seemed; now it was long and lustrous as it had been, still retaining that vibrant shade of pink. Her features were more refined than what it was since the last time he had saw her. And she was so much more beautiful then before. His frozen heart stirred before another thought entered his mind. She probably did it for Sasuke. Oh, he knew. He knew when he first saw her after years. That faraway look in her eyes when Sasuke was still part of his team, that look he wished she would use to gaze upon him but never did.

Sasuke.

How he hated that name.

And there was silence, the air calm in contrast to the great vortex of hate that was him. Much can be gained by just listening to the voices lingering in the air, one could the hollow voices of the dead and the joyous singing of the spirits if one so wished. But the air also whispered to him of the things to come, things which brought only age and weariness to those willing to listen.

But for now, the world can wait, like it always did.

* * *

Calm and sunny, with just the right amount of shade. The forest path was pleasant to those of weary minds, the air was fresh from the night before. Almost the perfect day for anybody. Almost.

The sound of moving wire went unnoticed by them, walking unaware to the danger they were in. The wires snapped, and all went silent for a moment.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

_

* * *

_

_Hiss… _

_…hiss _

_…hiss…_

He watched from atop the shadows, as balls of angry red erupted from the ground. He laughed as he watched his creations wrecked destruction onto the leaf-nins below. He glanced towards the rest of his comrades as they rushed, their eyes wild and their bodies charged with chakra. They were now quite far from him, their blood singing for the blood of others. But his calling was not of battle; he didn't have that perpetual lust for blood like the others did. No, his calling lay within the subtle and vivacious art of summoning. A difficult skill to master, most would say, but the rewards were worth it. And Orochimaru-sama would recognize his strength and perhaps he would even replace that upstart Uchiha-. He stopped, his mind snapping back to the present. There were times for such thoughts and now was not one of them. There were enemies to kill and he would kill them well.

With a wave of his hands, another pyre of fire burst into the sky.

He could hear the sound of battle faintly from where he was but that didn't matter.

Clouds of smoke covered the region where his comrades were fighting. And from the smog three giantatic snakes appeared, crushing trees under their enormous size. Atop on their heads, their minuscule masters stood. And that was the signal to him.

It was time to deliver the final blow. The reason why he was so superior than the rest, his bloodline jutsu. His hands were in a frenzy, shifting to form one hand seal from another without pause. The jutsu was quite long and difficult to perform but it guaranteed success should it be used upon anybody. Anybody, and that included **Uchiha Sasuke** as well. He smirked as he felt his chakra wells expand significantly, the amount of chakra at his disposal increasing almost three fold. Then he began directing the energies to his hands and already he could feel them swell and ache as arcs of chakra fizzled from his hands. But he bore the growing pain, his mind tasked upon succeeding.

_Soon, soon. I will be the one Orochimaru-sama favors… _There was a slight shift in the shadows but he didn't notice, too busy with the jutsu and fantasizing about the future.

Neither did he notice the approaching blade as it descended upon his neck…

* * *

Naruto looked at the crumpled form of the Sound-nin, neck snapped and hands still surging chakra which now merely danced and fed mindlessly on the flesh of their dead master. Soon, the corpse would be devoured by the chakra, and nothing would be left save for ash. He snorted in disgust, sheathing his blade with neither regret nor sorrow in his features. He pulled his hood over his head, his grey traveling cloak covering him from view.

He had no desire to kill.

But there were exceptions to the rule. The Sound being one of those.

He had found out earlier that there was no hope for redemption for them. When you showed them mercy, they took that mercy and threw it back at your face with twice as much trouble before. They were mindless, like the chakra which only served to be used, turning mindless without its master. It was what they were, existing only to serve the purposes of Orochimaru without fail. The Sound had sold their souls for power, just like Uchiha did.

_And remember, so did you. _The voice in his mind whispered. _You too, are like them. _

He ignored the voice, like many times he did in the past but he couldn't help but feel a bit angry. He kept silent, not wishing to be baited by it, for if he became mad with rage, nothing would stop his path of destruction which he would unleash, save for himself. And Naruto hardly thought himself as being resilient.

He looked to the east where the battle was being fought. Already he could see the massive frog boss side to side with a huge slug, flanked by three snakes of the same size. He wasn't surprised by this, for he knew that the Sound had been getting more and more powerful shinobis recently. But he was sure that Jiraiya and Tsunade could handle them. Those two were after all, Sannin. While he was more concerned about the battle raging below, he wasn't sure whether to lend a hand against the Sound and risk letting his powers be known or just let the Leaf handle their own enemies.

The thought of Sakura fighting alone against unbeatable odds brought a sharp pain to his chest. _She wasn't there when you walked the dark places of the continent, she wasn't there for you four years ago and wouldn't be there for you now! _The logical and hateful part of his mind screamed at him, telling him that she wasn't worth it and that she should die for all he cared.

But another voice sprung up among all of those angry voices, pleading for him to go save her just this once.

Gods, he really hated that voice.

* * *

"Get down!" She heard Neji shout. She did as she was told, just in time to avoid the swinging tail of the snake that the Sound-nins had summoned. Trees were falling with every movement the gigantic monsters made, and she had to move every so often in order to avoid getting crushed, her position now quite far from Neji. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade-sama had summoned their own creatures and were now engaged with the snakes and their masters. While she was confident that both of them could hold own against the Sound, she wasn't so sure about themselves.

_Whoosh!_

She barely dodged the several kunai which were thrown at her direction, and without wasting her movement, she threw back a few attached with explosion tags. But she wasn't worried about whether they would hit their targets. Her concern was centered on the fact that their enemies were slowly, but surely isolating them. Already she could barely see Neji and the others fighting from the distance. But where the swordsman the Toad-sannin had brought along was, she had no idea.

_But more importantly… there are five of them and one of me. This is going to be difficult…_

"Come on, little girl." The one of the Sound-nin had taunted, his eyes scanning over her body a little too thorough for her taste. "We won't hurt you. Much." Sakura almost snorted, but remembered that _she_ was outnumbered here. But that didn't meant she's totally defenseless though, and she had a few choice jutsu to use in this type of situations.

Forming the hand seal of Boar, she closed her eyes for a brief instant, molding what chakra she had gathered as she prepared for her attack. But the Sound-nins saw no reason to attack, but instead encircled her at a distance like vultures.

"Praying? Isn't it a little too late for-" The Sound-nin was interrupted by the streaming pristine beam which shot out from her eyes. "Shit! You're gonna pay for that bitch!" The beam continued to smolder the surroundings as the Sound-nins desperately tried not to be hit by the chakra powered beam. Its intensity lowered for a moment before it blazed even stronger than before, this time taking out one of the Sounds who was too slow to dodge. Sakura ignored the screams and the horrid smell of burnt flesh and struggled to keep the beam going, for she knew that once she stopped the Sound-nins would immediately pounce on her like wolves, fueled by bloodlust. The frenzied look they gave her didn't help her soothe her worries.

She heard the sound of a kunai traveling towards her and she jumped back, her attack losing its momentum, and the ocular beam stopped all together. A small amount of fear began to creep into her but she pushed it down before it could fester. She was a Kunoichi, dammit!

Her hands formed one seal after another, instinct driving her thoughts rather than her intelligence but for now, it was enough for her. It was a mass mind control jutsu she made herself, combing Ino's and Shikamaru's own jutsu with a few new features pioneered by her. In theory, it should be a flawless jutsu. However, there was something lacking that she failed to foresee…

The only thing that made it **not** a perfect jutsu was its range.

Suffice to say, the key to success with this jutsu was simple. All she had to do was force out a specific amount of specialized chakra and poof! Since it relies heavily on the intensity of the release of chakra to work, its area of effect was limited to a short distance from the user. She learned it the hard way during one of her training sessions when Kakashi-sensei surprised her as he continued to advance on her, apparently unharmed.

She had reluctantly dropped her little project, hoping to work on it when she could but never found time to really test it out. And now, her survival depended on whether her jutsu worked or not. But that was all shoved away as the last of the seals was completed and she felt her body go overdrive as chakra poured out of her like an overflowing river.

She released the seal. "Shitai kansei no jutsu!"

A palm full of chakra gathered in her fist as she lashed out towards the nearest Sound-nin, a small thread barely visible to the eye riveting towards the ninja unnoticed. It latched onto him, immobilizing him as a surge of chakra poured through the connection. Several big chunks of chakra then branched out from the body as it hit the surrounding the sound-nins. She slumped onto the ground, the expenditure of most of her chakra into the technique overwhelming her body.

But, she smiled. It was a success.

It was then she noticed that one was missing. Her eyes widened, willing her chakra exhausted body to move. She did so in time for several kunai to embed the grass she was just on. She scanned her surroundings frantically, her doujutsu unusable due to lack of chakra.

"This is for trying to burn us, bitch!" She turned to see one of the Sound-nins ready to stab her. She didn't dodge in time and the kunai went deep into her arm. She winced, before the kunai was savagely pulled out, bringing searing pain. She bit her lip this time, trying to prevent herself from screaming. Her concentration was shattered and her jutsu over the others was released. A kick to her solar plexus left her coughing and slam to her back sent her to the ground.

A shadow covered her, and caught sickening eyes unclothing her.

"Game over, little girl…"

This was the end. Without chakra, she was useless to do anything. Nothing at all.

She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the final blow to come. And she felt something within her snapped, releasing a lock to something she had kept secret from herself for so long.

Then, chakra filled her; gave her a strength which she had never thought possible. Its presence was foreign but strangely familiar as it flowed within her veins. With an instinct to protect herself, she stood up, her body, along with the surroundings, exploded with chakra, hurling the surprised Sound-nins through the air and into the depths of the forest.

And as soon as her strength came, it left abruptly, leaving Sakura to fall helpless on her behind. She was perplexed as to how she managed that raw chakra blast but she didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Silently, she thanked whatever kamis which were out there for protecting her.

She heard the soft footsteps on grass approaching her and she turned her attention to the source, fearing the worse. Her fear was but she was still apprehensive of the

"You!" She shouted, her surprise getting the better of her. "What the hell are you doing here!"

The boy who accompanied Jiraiya before looked at her, and she could feel his eyes scanning over her even though the hood and cloak obscured his features. "Why, searching for you, of course. I got separated when they ambushed us." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sakura nodded tiredly, too tired to consider the possibilities that it may be a lie; fatigue was beginning to take its toll on her, and the use of that jutsu just now made her even more light-headed. She struggled to collect her thoughts, but had failed. A hand shook her, and she instinctively knocked away the offending grip with a scowl.

"My, aren't we grumpy today?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. But before she could continue, she heard the faint rustle of the leaves in the wind and he pointed out the obvious. "They are returning."

She almost snorted at that. "What do you think they would do? Leave us here 'unattended'?" She said dryly, picking herself off the ground, her legs pretty much reduced to jelly from her exhaustion. She couldn't help but feel angry, which surprised her considering she barely knew the swordsman. She felt ashamed at her attitude, though the previous few moments she had spent with him made her consider otherwise. Still, it was unwarranted on her part. As if something made her to do so.

There was another rustle, this one was louder than the first. She moved her arm, pain flaring once again as she forgot to heal the wound. Her chakra was low, but she could afford to heal some of her wounds. She performed a few seals, her hand enveloped with the expected glow of chakra as she placed it on her arm, the wound closing rapidly.

"Trust me," She said, readily a kunai as she stared expectedly into the shadows cast by the trees, "You wouldn't last long against shinobi, so please spare me the added headache by getting out of my way.

He just shot her an amused look, which prominently declared 'Oh really?' even under the hood he wore. She glared at him, only to receive a shrug in return. She turned before he spoke again.

"I'm just here to help you." She found his words cryptic, but dismissed it as the Sound-nins approached. She could find out what he meant by that later.

And the battle was joined.

* * *

Enemy or not, he had to give credit to these Sound-nins. Where others would have been beaten minutes ago, they were still standing, much to his displeasure. It had also concerned him that Orochimaru had gained quite a few talents during these past few years, if the Sound-nins who were dispatched against them were any indication. And from what Tsunade had been telling him prior to the ambush, it wasn't a good sign at all.

He took a sideward glance at Tsunade who was on top of Katsuyu, noticing a worried tick beneath the calm exterior she showed. It was a slight sign but not inconsequential. But the question was who was she worried for? He could only guess, but he supposed that she was worried for the student she taken in while he was off searching for his. And the pink-haired kunoichi was, he noticed, was very beautiful and quite competent it seems, just like Tsunade was a few decades ago, and he wondered why she would need to worry about such an excellent student.

But he was not one to judge, especially since he was also anxious for Naruto, and no matter how much he showed his proficiency for both getting out and into trouble, he still felt responsible for him. But that was not the point, Naruto had disappeared the moment the attack came and his mind concluded that there was a possibility that Naruto ran away again. But he immediately dismissed it, for he knew that Naruto could escape with ease if he so wished. However, there was something greater which influenced him, something that not even Naruto consciously knew, but he had saw a piece of the old Naruto shine within those dead eyes for just a moment and it motivated him to bring back that light no matter what.

He grinned, the familiar rush of battle filling him once more.

* * *

Theoretically, he should be just at the level of a rurouni. Weak and easy to kill.

Theoretically, he shouldn't be alive now, from the hidden looks of surprise the Sound-nins gave him.

But that was all the technicality of assumption. He learned early on that nothing was what it seemed. Even the most obvious appearance had another side to uncover. And his identify was one of those fronts. No one would be able to tell that Karaichi Seizou, amateur swordsman, was one of the many faces of Uzumaki Naruto, S-class missing-nin, with numerous charges of possession of kinjutsu, all listed under his various aliases in the bingo book. But he wasn't using any of those aliases now.

"Katon: Saishuu Hantei no jutsu!"

A huge ball of fire surged its way towards him and at the last moment sidestepped, creating the impression that he had been hit. And when the smoke cleared, he was amused to see a big shock on the face of the Sound-nins as he stood unharmed next to a crater almost three times his size. The Sound-nins fixed their attention on him, He couldn't have Sakura-chan unfairly outmatched, now could he?

Bringing along that kind of attention would mean leaving Sakura-chan with one less opponent to deal with, which is just as well. He wouldn't consider three on one an unfair advantage. They were going to have to take advantage of everything they got, underhand or not, to win. He could sensed that they were at least lower Jounin level, and that much of the Sound's techniques were amplified to the max in terms of power. Not to mention curse seals, and the fact that he couldn't use any high level jutsus, or risk blowing the delicate identity of being just a simple rurouni. It was going to be a challenge. A challenge which he would enjoy immensely.

"Now then," He said, boredom in his tone as he unsheathed his sword which reflected its owner's lifeless eyes, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

He was insane. Utterly insane.

Sakura was convinced of that when Seizou didn't move an inch as the ball of fire raced to pulverize him. And when the smoke cleared from the blast, she was shocked to see him standing next to the huge crater so casually. And he was smiling to top it all up, as if it was all a game to him!

He was mad. Mad enough to taunt the Sound-nins to focus a three-on-one advantage on him, leaving her with possibly the weakest of the four. She didn't want to admit it but she still hasn't recovered from her previous…'experience' and was a bit grateful to him for that.

_Though that wouldn't be long, once they deal with him,_ She though bitterly._ I will be hard pressed to even dodge! After all, he is only a **rurouni**. _

_A rurouni who seems to be able to avoid jutsus, _Her mind retorted, and she found it strange considering the circumstances. She recognized the jutsu used and it was rumored that nothing would be able to avoid its aim. Even if one was capable of such a feat, they would be hard pressed to deal with the chakra explosion from the impact itself. And yet, this boy almost her age, a rurouni no less, managed to do so without seemingly suffering the slightest of injuries. Even from the distance she was at, she could **feel** the raw power put into that attack. Coming to this point, she racked her mind, thoroughly frustrated at the impossibility of the situation.

There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this!

Maybe he was a high powered rurouni or perhaps…

She didn't have time to think as she barely missed being turned to a kebab.

* * *

He stepped to the side, letting an icicle stab into the earth beside him as he deflected a kunai with a grace comparable to the wind. His movements were not wasted, honed by years of continued practice and necessity. With a casual gaze, he looked at his opponents who were starting to tire from the games he played.

Even with these odds, he still at an advantage, which suited him just fine.

His smugness was forgotten as they activated their curse seals, constructs of genius-fused insanity which fueled and boosted their chakra and strength by leaps and bounds by feasting on their life energy. An ugly smear of black spread across their skin like a cancer as they became faster and faster until they were almost a blur to him.

The dance just became more complicated.

Their attacks were more deadly, faster and far less sloppy. They encircled him now, each one sending either a wave of sound, ice or fire in a continuous cycle, and there was never a moment to rest or to catch his breath. There was but one thing he could do.

Naruto just dodged. Dodged and avoided those attacks like his life was on the line. Because it did. Because the scales of battle tipped in their favour. For now.

There was a break in his concentration and the Sound-nins noticed. Without warning a blast came at him, its trajectory towards his back. He shifted his body, narrowly avoiding it but the blast cutinto his arm even though he avoided it. Another wave followed the first but this time instead of dodging he hacked at the unseen attack, steering away the wave from him and into several trees behind which came crashing down from the force.

He twisted him body, taking full advantage of the opening left by his opponent, before…

"Ahhhhhh!"

He heard a feminine scream to his left, catching sight of a downed Sakura, in pain as blood flowed freely from her body. Memories resurfaced once more…

_"-big forehead! What a big forehead you have! "_

_Unkind words accompanied spiteful laughter, soft sobbing unheard and ignored in the noise. A pink-haired girl with an unusually wide forehead sat in the sand, tears rolling down her dimpled cheeks. An orange clad boy with wild yellow hair watched silently from the sidewalk as he watched the scene, feeling angry that they could say such things. He thought that she was an angel, like the ones he had read from the storybooks the old geezer had given him, with those rosy cheeks and bright eyes. Smiles, not tears suited her, he though, before he heard the next line. _

_"I wonder whether that big forehead of yours can absorb the force of stones?" The bully pulled back his arm, his instruments of pain clasped within his grasp. _

_"Stop!" At the last moment, the yellow haired boy jumped in, using his body to shield the crying girl from the stone, wincing as his head bled from the impact. A fire flared in his eyes as he glared at the other boy who was almost twice his size, whose eyes of black scared him but still, he held steady in face of this. He turned his head, to see the girl sniff, curious and teary eyes peering at him with wonder. And at that moment, he wanted protect this angel. He had to. _

_The bully just pushed the interfering boy with ease, the latter lacking the strength to resist from malnutrition. He focused his attention on the orange clad boy, a cruel smile on his lips as he recognized the other boy. The one who was always shunned by other children and adults, as if he was a pariah. "What do you know? Orphan boy? Bet your parents abandoned you 'cause you're jinxed or something." _

_He stopped cold, the biting truth and reality in those words sapping him of his strength and resolve, leaving him as an observer in his own body. Words and insults didn't reach him now, already locked tightly in his own little world_

_The teasing continued. _

_And he watched on helplessly, unable to protect his angel... _

He snapped, rage playing a cruel puppeteer with his body.

"You should be getting tired by now…" The Sound-nin sneered, sending another shockwave towards his opponent. The force he had put into it would have collapsed two city blocks if it had hit.

His foe grinned at that, dodging the shockwave with more speed than he seemed to possess, much to the Sound-nin's suprise. "Oh?" He asked, eyes twinkling with glee. "Don't be so sure…" He dropped his chakra barriers completely to allow his chakra to flow freely, his hands glowing with the gathering energy.

_Impossible! This chakra!- _His brothers had the same expression as he did. Shock and incredulity.

"I forgot to mention this but," The boy in front of him smiled, his posture changing into a crouch as his hands gripped his now sheathed sword, "I've been holding back..." The change in pressure wasn't notable at first, but there was a flash of red almost akin to the crimson hue of the sharingan which surrounded the boy, sent shivers into the other shinobis.

"Please _entertain_ me."

* * *

He knew this feel of chakra, and unlike the soft presence of the blue, this one was menacing, inspiring terror to everything it touches. It flared around the brat, becoming visible to the naked eye. And it wasn't just any type of chakra.

It was the power of a demon.

When the monster looked at him with those eyes, he knew. There was a demon within, wanting to take control, wanting to sate its bloodlust. With their blood.

Within moments, he had killed almost all of his team. He was the only one who remained.

"M-monster!" He managed to stutter out. That stopped the monster in his tracks, and he turned his crimson tinted eyes towards him. Terror ran through his blood even more now, intensifying as the monster let his gaze fall on him. He had never known true terror before but now he **knew**. The choking feeling of helplessness was imprinted within his mind, his sanity slipping with every moment passed.

"What did you call me?" The incarnation of a demon asked in a very quiet voice.

"A monster!" The Sound-nin said, shocked that his mouth was moving on its own initiative. He didn't notice his curse seal activating.

The vessel of Kyuubi narrowed his eyes and the Sound-nin felt that oppressive aura beginning to choke him. Literally.

"Do you know why you called me a monster?" He asked, taking small steps around his prey, the sound-nin unable to answer, let alone breath. "No? Then let me educate you." He plunged his hand into the other man's chest, blood exploding from the wound.

And he screamed.

* * *

So easy.

So weak.

Naruto took one step towards the fallen body, lips curved like a demon before the other shinobi screamed, clutching his head as blood trickled from his eyes, mouth and ears. It broke him from his rage, not completely lifting the veil of bloodlust, but enough for him to **remember**. That he was not like them.

He frowned at the weird symbol which appeared on the Sound-nins head as he continued to scream. It was shaped like a snake, except that there were stringy lines which branched out from the main body of the snake. A sickening smell rose as the seal began to burn through the flesh didn't have him very much.

He would have recognized that seal anywhere, after being ambushed by so many who wanted to steal his techniques for their precious master.

How could he ever forget that?

It was a mind seal, very similar to that of the Hyuuga curse seal. But instead of a quick death, this seal was modified to give the bearer an agonizing one, through a maddening genjutsu planted within the mind. The seal, like all other , was only placed on those Orochimaru had deemed…'loyal'. He had seen such fanatic devotion to the Snake Sannin by his slaves before, and frankly, he wasn't impressed.

"Even in death, does your pitiful master controls you." He spat unsympathetically as watched his opponent's body thrash erratically. "Every second, every hour, till the day you die."

His bloodlust subsided completely and the crimson shade left his eyes, demonic urges slinking back from whence it came, to be replaced with the gaze of the shell which inhabited his body for quite some time. But even a shell knew small mercies. "But I will give you a quick death. That much I promise."

He raised his blade over the suffering body, the scene like a morbid ritual one would commonly find before the founding of Konoha, and plunged it into the heart of the convulsing body. Blood spattered on him from the force, but he didn't pay it any mind. The Sound-nin thrashed for a moment before he became deathly still, the smell of decaying flesh lingering in the air. Removing his blade from the corpse, he wiped it with a cloth he had carried in his gi, throwing it aside before sheathing his blade.

Watching the clouds darken, he closed the tortured eyes of the shinobi, muttering a quick prayer. He looked at the suddenly grey sky as he listening to the voice of the wind, not noticing emerald eyes watching him from afar.

* * *

"Hold on there, Sakura..." She mumbled on to herself, half hallucinating from blood loss. A sudden chill made her shiver

She had multiple stab wounds. Three in the shoulder, two to the abdomen and one in the leg, severing a artery in the process. It was painful to even think, let alone move. And there was the seductive lull of black clouds which would bar her vision very so often. She pushed her already tired body to mould chakra before, during combat with the Sound-nin. And now she needed to use chakra once more to heal. She knew that she may die from the exertion but there was no choice save a slow death from blood loss.

With heavy hands, she performed the seals to a jutsu she had used so many times to save the life of others and her own. Pain mingled with the feel of chakra, as the abused coils took on heavier loads than it could take. She held on, managing to heal the most of the wounds before the last fiber of chakra was extinguished

It was done, and she knew that it would take some time before she fell into the unwanted state of chakra exhaustion.

He turned and faced her, blood stains on his clothes of grey. She couldn't see his eyes clearly but they glowed almost red under the afternoon sun, lips set in a line. Even through her clouded mind, she was scared, not that she would ever admit. Then, she, for the first time, saw through the surface of those terrifyingly cold eyes, the secret which lay past the thin layer of indifference. And as she gazed once more upon those orbs of sapphire, and in her haziness, she wondered how much those eyes reminded her of someone she once knew, the sad, lost, cheerful boy who made her laugh when she needed it the most. Then she felt the gentle tug of her muscles finally giving way, becoming limp as her brain reverted to a sustaining state.

The world became foggy to her as it drifted away.

* * *

He could sense apprehension and fear from the jounins he couldn't recognize before. But Neji and Tsunade didn't seem to notice. He couldn't care less as long as his position wasn't compromised. Jiraiya was no where to be seen, and he suspected that the Toad-Sannin was still checking the perimeter of their position. Tsunade turned her attentions onto the injured jounins earlier whereas Neji just walked towards him, an unknown expression on his face, which confused him for a moment. He tensed as the Hyuuga prodigy stopped within arms length of him, only to pick up the pink-haired bundle leaning against the tree trunk.

"You fought well." The Hyuuga admitted grudgingly. The praise didn't faze him a bit. It would have meant something to him before, to be acknowledged by someone strong but no longer did he seek such childish whims. He wasn't who he used to be, and that was reality.

"It was nothing." He said, his eyes barely shifting to glance at the unconscious girl in Neji's arms. He found it hard to ignore the ache stirring in his heart, along with the subtle darkness. "It was nothing at all."

TBC

* * *

Ending notes: Finally! I thought I would never get it done… Now, I am sure you noticed some Naru/Saku fluff, if you consider that fluff, but I will make it up in the next chapter. (Not sure how though, perhaps suggestions are in order…) There is no author feedback for this chapter, though I wished I had the time to do so. :( But I appreciate everyone who has reviewed, one timers or not, cause you guys give me the motivation to struggle on.

I felt that this chapter could be done better; the scenes rushed and greatly compacted, to my deep regret. Why, you ask? Cause I can't wait to advance to the next stage of the story, and it should be good if my gut serve me right. :) But seriously, this chapter is a transition chapter to a more stable environment. Like Konoha. nudge So I can't help but rush the process…

The chapter may revised in the future, but for now, it stays as it is. My head hurts and it's about one in the morning, and coffee's not an alternative.

Technique of the day…

Shitai Kansei no jutsu: Body Trap technique. A technique developed by Sakura during the first years under Tsunade's tutelage. Orginally, it was like the Kaiten but its area of effect would be much larger than the defensive technique. After the technique showed a critical flaw, Sakura developed a variation of the technique. This variation is similar to the Shadow Bind technique, with the exception that it uses chakra threads instead of shadows as the mediums for trapping and that no additional chakra is needed for it to capture more targets or maintain its hold as it draws chakra from its victims to sustain itself.

Oh, by the way… here's a teaser for your troubles…enjoy:)

_He stood unfazed, not by her or the huge office he was in, his eyes betraying nothing as he stared at her unflinchingly. She figured it was a good time as any to speak. _

_"Why," She asked, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Why did you leave?" _

_The boy's hair morphed and shifted, from dusty brown it gave birth to striking yellow, tangles of long strands of unkempt hair possessing a hidden grace taking the place of the once short and brown crop. His lips curved into a smile she had only seen once on one person in all her fifty years. The smile of a demon. _

_There was silence, before there was a small chuckle from him. That chuckle grew into mad laughter. And then there was silence once again._

_He clasped his chin with his hands, a confounded expression on his face. And in a sing-song voice, he asked, "Why? Why oh why, I wonder?" He repeated, his tone pondering, searching for an answer like a child. Tsunade found it mocking, until she saw the lifeless glint within those dull orbs. She shivered. What did he endure to become like this? The thought lingered until a more chilling question came into mind. What had **they** done to help create Naruto into what he was now? _

_Naruto looked at her straight in the eye, face solemn and replied, "All I wanted was love, Tsunade-baba. And this village stripped it away from me."_

To be continued in the next installment! Tune in next time!


	5. Act IV: Konoha

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Of Blades and Blood

Act IV: Konoha

Standing at the gates of Konoha before made him remember many things. His youth, for example, among the many things but after those fond memories came an imposing afterthought. He had seen the destruction caused 16 years ago, and wondered what kind of creature was capable of such mass ruin. The Nine-tails, the most powerful youkai known to humans, was able to smash mountains and summon hurricanes at a whim, much less level an entire village. And here he was, standing here along with the container of that great demon, Naruto Uzumaki, better known now as Karaichi Seizou, the rurouni, the wanderer. He looked at the boy, whose once short blonde hair was now a long dirty brown. He didn't want to imagine how he managed to change his appearance at will, through means which may be comprehensible to him. And it was not even a fraction of Kyuubi' true strength.

Kyuubi's power could change fate; that much has not changed.

But such depressing thoughts were for another time. Almost immediately, he whipped out his minuscule telescope, obviously getting ready to gather more…'material'. His new book, Icha Icha Paradise volume 27, was promised to be filled to the brim with exciting and busty new characters and he couldn't do that without new 'material', could he?

Despite his attitude and the sunny appearance of the village of Konoha, he knew there was something in the air which told him of darker days to come.

* * *

It was bright and sunny in Konoha, the skies clear of clouds, bringing the warmth of the sun to its inhabitants. Much of the city's populace was up and about, a few stalls here and there littering the streets, various shops of interest open for business as its owners sat lazily behind their counters, waiting for the day to go by.

The boundaries of the village expanded since they last time he had been here, and there were more trees in the area than he thought. It dulled the monotony of the grey districts of housing and shop, adding a speck of the beauty that was life into the lifeless. However…

He hated it.

He hated all of it.

They reminded him of too many unwanted memories.

And every time one remarked how beautiful the village was, he resisted the urge to snort, for he knew that beneath the wonderful exterior, there laid ugliness like any other place in the continent. **It deserves to be destroyed!** He widened his eyes at the sudden awakening of the Kyuubi, its presence like a fiery catalyst to his rage. He thought the seals he had made would have contained the demon from his mind, but nothing he did seemed to keep the demon at bay for long. **Didn't they seal me into you? To create the perfect weapon? **

He clenched his fist, urging himself to calm down, gritting his teeth. _Kyuubi is lying again._ Trying to convince himself to believe those words, he knew the Kyuubi was right however, no matter how much he tried otherwise, but he feared that if he acknowledged those words with it in his mind would only add more fuel to the fire. It was a manipulation on Kyuubi's part, and he wouldn't fall for it again.

Mocking laughter rang in his mind, **_Do not deceive yourself. Why protect those who have betrayed you! _**The fox flared, howling through the recesses of his mind, its powers trying to warp its wishes to his will. Eventually, he won the one of the countless battles he fought, his will power was the only reason he prevailed. The seals he crafted were useless if his will was weak.

**You win for now…but I do not care so long as you use my power…** He heard the demon chuckle from within, before its presence disappeared as the protective seals kicked into action. Naruto released the breath he was unconsciously holding, his shields collapsing just as the Kyuubi left his mind.

The tattoo on his arm burned with power, but this time he found no joy as it coursed through his veins.

He shifted about the populated streets, not one of the citizens paying him any mind. He was a traveler here, one that that was of no interest to the ANBU, the Police corps or anybody else. And he intended to keep it that way. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. It was quite a tall building, compared to the others which surrounded it, its peak stretching outwards to the sky. Much of its appearance was pretty run down, the paint seemingly peeling off the surface of the building, a sign of age and long gone beauty. He looked at the faded sign board nailed above entrance, noticing the clumsy kanji for 'Welcome' but he shrugged. The amount of money he had was pitiful, barely enough to last him the week if he was careful. He entered the building, catching sight of a man sitting behind a clearly neglected counter. Naruto couldn't see half of his features, blocked by a magazine but he could see enough. There was still a patch of hair on his head, though a bald patch in the middle told him that it was going to change soon. His face was gaunt with the lines of stress or alcohol induced bliss, his eyes slanted, gleaming with a glint in them that he was well familiar with. Greed.

The owner looked up at him from his magazine; his slanted eyes were calculative as he wondered how much money he could squeeze from his new-customer-to-be.

"May I help you?" The man asked, his tone revealing much about the man's intentions, and he caught his eyes darting towards his katana.

"A room for the week. No questions asked and that I was never here." He said gruffly, slamming a few thousand ryo notes on the counter, which was more than enuogh. The landlord's eyes widened at the sum, before happily pocketing the money while producing a small worn down key. "Understood," The seedy man clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he eyed his apparently rich tenant. "You were never here." He handed the key to the outstretched hand and there was brief contact and Naruto felt the need to wash it later. Somehow Naruto knew that the man would sell that information to any interested once he left, but that was not a concern to him.

Outrunning people was a habit he kept in practice.

He looked at the key. Room 16, it read.

Gingerly, he tucked it into one of his pockets and went up the old flight of stairs.

* * *

Tsunade sat in her office, the first rays of the sun glaring through the windows. Normally at this time, she would have still be fast asleep, hoping to escape from the large amount of paperwork which often plague her. But this time, she was comatose to her surroundings, lost in between her world of thoughts and the real world. She stared into space, not registering with what Jiraiya told her earlier, when they were almost at the gates to the village.

"_That swordsman behind us, is Naruto." He said casually, as if discussing the weather, throwing a sideward look behind at the person in question. Tsunade gave him a look at that, a shocked expression on her features. _

"_What?" The ashen-haired man was unfazed as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha whipped about her head to face him, her eyes filled with disbelief as she shifted them back and forth between him and the cloaked figure. "If this is your idea of a joke, I swear-" She was stopped by a small shake of his head. _

"_As I said, he," Jiraiya jerked a thumb towards the cloaked figure, silently trudging considerably behind the group, "Is Naruto." _

_Tsunade froze again at the name. "How?" She asked, her voice quiet. _

_Jiraiya shook his head again. "I do not know." She opened her mouth to ask further before he placed a hand on her shoulder. _

"_He is not the Naruto you knew four years ago, Tsunade. He has changed, but by how much I have yet to see." Jiraiya said, a grim smile on his lips. "But I sense that there is still some part of him that is still left…" His words were strangely awkward as though there was something more that he should say but didn't. _

_She looked pensive, a faint doubt in her eyes. "How can you be so sure that he is even Naruto, Jiraiya?" At those words, the Toad-Sannin looked at her, his eyes losing its dullness for a brief second. Tsunade didn't care, the doubt still directed at him. _

"_I saw it in his eyes. You can choose whether to believe it or not." It was very vague, and was not the answer Tsunade expected to or wanted to hear. But that was understandable in any case with regards as to what she was being told. _

"_Don't play your stupid mind games, you ass-" She was interrupted by his sudden exclamation. _

"_Oh!-We're here. Home." The serious expression left his face, a lecherous look told her as much of what he intended to do once inside, but unlike previous times, she let it slide this once. There was something he was hiding, something that she was bound to find out sooner or later. But for now, she knew the conversation was over, with Jiraiya telling her what he wanted to tell her and then he would leave again, only to appear when he had something to say. _

_And the cycle repeated itself…_

That was three days ago. She was dubious of his words then, so she had assigned the ANBU to keep an eye on the one Jiraiya claimed to be Naruto. All seemed relatively normal and there was no way that a rurouni could be Naruto. That it, until she received the ANBU's report. The pictures but something else caught her eye. There was a reddish hue in his eyes, not very visible to the untrained eye, but she could see it nonetheless.

Not many people had red in their eyes. In fact, none of them should even have them.

Such a thing could be only the result of one thing.

Demon containment.

The techniques to have such a thing exist were shunned by all but the mad and power hungry. And unless there were more like him the only one to be performed on someone in her time to her knowledge was…

Naruto Uzumaki. Nephew to the Fourth. The holder of the Kyuubi. But he meant much more to her than that.

A boy she almost considered a little brother, full of hope and energy. Until that day.

At first, she didn't believe it when he ran away, her mind convinced that there was still hope. But as every day ended with neither word nor trace of him, so did her hope crumple bit by bit, until there was nothing left but resignation. Reluctantly, with searches coming to dead ends within a year, she ordered hunter-nins operating in out of the Fire Country had been notified of this and were told to bring the bring boy back, but she hadn't much hope that they would bring him back alive, much less unharmed. Most of them had been Genin or young enough to remember the fear and helplessness they felt when **it** attacked 16 years ago. The Council had sent their blessings, which was evidence enough to her what they meant. Konoha's policies concerning missing-nins were among the harshest in the shinobi world, and death was almost certain fate if caught.

Bearing the Kyuubi certainly didn't help matters much.

Stacked against those odds, she prayed that she would never see his name on one of those reports, or worse, to see him brought back, dead and lifeless. It wasn't much of an alternative but it was better than the thought of him still alive in some foreign land, only to wake up everyday to run away. It was almost better believing that he never existed.

Days, weeks, months passed without word of Naruto and soon she conveniently buried her memory of him. And now…

Everything was crashing to pieces.

No. It had to be a trick.

Naruto was, by all measure of reason, dead. Nothing could change that and she knew it. Nothing! She convinced herself, telling her that it was joke played by Jiraiya. She hadn't seen him for so long that she doubted that he was sane, especially after he went chasing for ghost. She told herself all of these, perhaps out of denial or sanity she did not know. Her mind was blank, made so by her purposefully, hoping to forget but failing miserably as her thoughts turned to those haunting words which still lingered traitorously in her mind, whispering and reminding her of something lost.

_He is Naruto. _

She shook the thought away and made a mental note to order the ANBU to keep an further eye on Karaichi Seizou, and that in time, their reports would prove her thoughts correct, that he was indeed not Uzumaki Naruto, but only a normal wanderer taking a brief stop in Konoha. It was denial on her part, and it was denial which kept her going for the past four years.

Snapping out of her trance, she looked at the huge stack of unsigned papers on her desk, Tsunade was glad for their presence for once, as she felt no desire to sleep in fear of seeing that cocky blonde brat that she so loved as her own in her mind.

* * *

She winced as she tried to move her arm, which still ached from chakra exhaustion. Within the confines of her office space, Sakura found no reason not to just dump her head on the table and drift into sleep. Her work could be put off till later anyways.

Gods, she was _so_ tired. Her body is still felt like crap, even after the treatment she received from Shizune-san a day prior. Ohh, What she wouldn't give to go to bed right now…

"Sakura!" A cheery voice called out.

Fluffy, warm pillows…

"Sakura!" This time, the voice bore a tint of irritation.

A wonderful, silky blanket…

"SAKURA!"

Startled, she looked up immediately with half-opened eyes to see the disturbingly bright and vibrant face of her colleague and former rival. Ino had grown these past few years, as she did, now sporting a more 'robust' figure which made men drool. Her code of dress changed over the years too, and her purple and semi-modest skirt and loose top were discarded for more…revealing outfits, often losing several inches from her skirt length and wearing a more tightly knit bodice than usual which Sakura was sure encouraged breathing difficulties. Distraction, Ino had told her when she asked, or so she said, though she had a sinking feeling that wasn't the case as she watched Ino bask in the attention after wearing a particularly 'attractive' attire on one of the days. But for today, she was content to dress a bit more appropriately, though not by much; a doctor's coat covering over her skimpy clothing, simple but complimenting to her all the same. She carried a plastic bag, containing a few cups of coffee, one already in her hand, apparently ready to be given to her.

It took her some time to realize that, as Ino was quick to point out.

"Helloooo? Konoha to Sakura! I bought coffee from the café down the street? The one you always bitched about when I gave you other brands?" Her finger pointed to the star-shaped logo of that particular brand imprinted onto the styrofoam cup she was holding, its presence somehow emphasized greatly by her finger alone. She stirred slightly in recognition at the sight of the hot drink, having spent countless mornings getting acquainted with Mr. Coffee after especially trying nights at work. On her better days, she was fussy with the type of coffee entering her system, but on others she couldn't care less about what sort the brown liquid was, so long as it contained caffeine. This was one of those days.

She looked at the caffeine product as if it was a foreign thing to her, before accepting it. "Thanks, Ino but…" She trailed off, her eyes darting with a hint of annoyance to the Chuunin, briskly stating what she thought at that moment. "It was the wrong brand. Again."

Ino puffed up, obviously unsatisfied by her answer. "What do you mean the wrong brand! I waited fifteen minutes just for these cups of coffee! I had to call you thrice to get your attention!" She exclaimed, before calming down. "So spill, what's bothering you?" Sakura sighed, even after so long, Ino still knew her best. Though Sakura never did completely understand how Ino's mind worked, with mind jutsu and all.

"Don't tell me its Kazuki-kun from the admin department?" At her silence, Ino just grinned, somehow misinterpreting her tired state for something totally different. "You lucky girl!" Gods, she could feel that headache coming again.

"Ino…" She managed to half groan half growl from her position, before she raised her head sluggishly to glare at her. "I did nothing but sleep since I came back from my mission. The whole time." She stressed.

The grin didn't leave Ino's face. "But that doesn't mean that he didn't visit you in your sleep, now did he?" Sakura became slack-jawed; her face reddening as the thought sneakily crept into her mind. She snapped out of her brief stupor before glaring at the Chuunin.

"Seriously, Ino."

The blonde just laughed, patting Sakura on the shoulder. "Just kidding, just kidding."

"By the way, did you see Tenten?" She pulled out a small black box from her drawer. "I got something Neji-kun wanted to give her."

Ino just shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the table. "The last I heard of her was that she was off doing some mission in the Wind Country," She sipped her coffee, the steam rising as she set it down on the table. "But I wouldn't worry. Tenten's strong and smart enough to avoid much mishap." There was not much conviction as she said those words, but Sakura didn't say anything. Yes, Tenten would come back, though not filled with cheer and jest as she first left but to be burdened, weary and bloodied, another scar or nick on her once unblemished skin. She learnt one thing. Nothing was certain, especially in their line of work, even if it seemed like everything could work out in the end. Deep down, she knew it wouldn't.

Sakura looked at the blonde quietly, bringing her own cup to her lips, preparing for the awful taste which was bound to come. It didn't, much to her surprise. She took a second gulp. Hmm…it didn't taste half as bad like the last time. Her drowsiness vanished as the caffeine worked its way into her system.

"The coffee this time was good, surprising, knowing with your taste in coffee."

Ino gave her _that_ look, showing annoyance and incredulity, where her left brow was arched as her lips thinned into a questioning line. "Normally, I would take that as an insult," She wagged a finger at the pink-haired kunoichi, "But I will let it slide this time, considering that you're my best friend, forehead-chan." The tone was teasing and Sakura laughed, finding it odd to do so after so long.

"But enough of _my_ taste in coffee," Ino said, a playful grin set on her lips, one which she knew very well.

Gossip time. She groaned, reading the blonde's thoughts.

"Don't you have work to do?" She asked, eyeing the blonde and the small mountain of papers begging to be looked through. It seems that Tsunade-sama passed down her curse to her as well.

Ino gave a loop-sided grin at her, obviously enjoying Sakura's distress. "Nope."

"Come on," She pouted, its effect dulled upon being used on Sakura but it was still potent nonetheless. "You do not want to become all stern and no fun like Neji-kun, right?"

She found herself grinning at the thought. "Tenten's going to kill you if she heard that."

"Exactly, and that's a big 'if' in the equation." The blonde said a-matter-of-factly.

"You never change, do you?" Sakura asked, already knowing the answer to her question. Ino shot her a look. And the hours dragged on, her work and dark thoughts conveniently tucked away for the rest of the morning.

* * *

It was quiet in his apartment.

Though there was still the occasional loudness, it was relatively silent in the apartment, save the sound of his breathing. Some might say that the silence was pressurizing and compelling but he did not feel these things. Silence meant another thing to him.

Serenity.

He sat on the matted floor, in the middle of the room, his palms were resting on his lap, facing upwards as they stacked upon one another. His legs were tucked in, resembling a monk with his posture. One could say that he was contemplating the meaning of life with the straight and almost calm expression on his face but it was far deeper than that.

He was dreaming.

From ends on end, he could see chakra of everyone for as far as he could see. The many buildings of Konoha were simply not there, appearing as a faint glow at best while the people…they were _alive,_ a multitude of colors all meshed into a one, and yet each one unique. Some were slight larger than others while some were significantly smaller, their colors ranging from pallid white to blazing amethyst. There was no name for this technique, for words couldn't describe the beauty of this. Time passed differently when he was in this state, an hour outside was no more than a minute to him.

It was addictive, he had found out, soothing and awing his mind at the same time by the wondrous sight that always seemed to make him stay longer. It was a meditative technique developed before the time of the first Shinobi villages, when chakra was only used to stimulate the body. A totally useless technique to a shinobi at the first glance, who would probably dismiss it as a tool of pleasure than anything else.

However, what they didn't know was that it could be doubled as an observation technique, if one has a strong will and proper skills in chakra manipulation. If properly controlled, it was better than tracking summons, for the eye and ear can always be misled by a skilled ploy or two. But nothing could escape his notice if he concentrated hard enough to the task. Be it a power spike or chakra leak, he could detect it due to the sensitive state his mind was in. And anybody which was at Chuunin level or higher, he could pinpoint and locate easily, only needing to go after the biggest or irregular ones within the pool. Appearances and masks could be used to fool on the surface, but in the end those measures were only skin deep. After all, the chakra does not lie. He could speed or slow his sense of time at will, he did not exactly know how to do it, but the task was somehow instinctual and he often took advantage of that fact to avoid Hunter-nins.

And that was what he was doing right now. But this time he was the hunter, not the prey.

He began to ignore the mind-numbing sensations and looked beyond that, losing himself in the virtual sea of humanity in the form of colored spheres. He materialized onto a street, his body out of place in the face of colored spheres and disproportionate auras. He touched one of them, belonging to a girl no older than 7, smiling as he felt her joy as his spirit connected with hers for a brief second. He focused, subtly drawing chakra to his form

There was a huge globe of magenta perched on the green outline of a tree, fairly near his apartment. The large blob of chakra representing the high level ninja did not show any indication of the blonde haired missing-nin, nor should he be. He let his hands sink into the miasmic of life force, gently moving his fingers about like a master of manipulation.

He spread his hands slightly apart, the perfect sphere shaking for a moment by the action. He centered on the main vein of chakra, thick and pulsing with every second, his eyes observing the thick chakra which flowed within. His hands gripped a portion of the seam and pressed lightly, letting some of his own chakra mingle with that of his victim. The pulsations slowed to a crawl as if life drained from the purple sphere, hungrily consumed by a power greater than its own. It would be fatal if he was not careful, but it sure as hell will make sure he or she stays on the ground until sunset. Provided that nobody finds his or her body until then.

He twitched his fingers once more, absorbing back his chakra from the orb, the dimming sphere flaring back to brilliance once more.

Bingo.

Satisfied, he loosened the control he had on his mind as the rush of bliss overran his senses.

There was a sudden stop and his perception of the world vanished in a flash, his eyes blurring momentarily before his sight was cast into darkness. Memories, dates, time, all of these became irrelevant to him, like a newborn into the world, peaceful and ignorant to its surroundings. Then the moment ended as those insignificant things rushed back into his mind, filling up the space which was emptied before, only to become relevant to him once more. It was like a waking from a dream, only that he knew that it wasn't a dream. It was uncomfortably humid, his senses told him, not to mention painfully noisy as expected in the afternoon. He took in a breath of air, its staleness as clear as day to his nose. His muscles tensed and contracted, as he became to breathe slowly.

He opened his eyes to be greeted with the simple furnishing of his apartment, his eyes squinting from the somehow glaring light which leaked into his apartment from the closed blinds.

Naruto didn't need to see whether there was really an ANBU outside, waiting and watching. He knew there was one, either way.

Carefully, he moved his legs, taking extra care not to make any sudden movements. His legs cramped suddenly, not used to the sudden movement after staying in one place for so long. It was then he realized that his throat was parched and stomach empty, a small rumble from his stomach attesting to the fact of his hunger. He could go on days without food, if he so wished but three days was the limit of comfort for him, and fasting wasn't something he did on a regular basis.

Perhaps he could grab a few bowls of ramen from that place he so frequented in the past.

Smiling, he left the door of his apartment just as the ANBU fell to the ground.

* * *

It was noon and most of the food outlets in Konoha were open for business, preparing for the huge crowd which would come as a phenomenon known to be as 'Lunch Hour'. And currently for the past year or so, it had been his hectic lunch time. Not really one he liked, considering he would pick quietness and solitude over the loud and cramp conditions of queuing at restaurants any time of the week. But for some reason or another, he was doing just that; queuing in loud and cramp conditions while the prospect of getting food early was a distant hope.

But despite these daunting challenges, his friend was determined to get food. Fast. Ditching the painfully slow service that the traditional restaurant provided, both of them wandered, very hungry and restless. Shikamaru wondered out loud why they had hadn't chosen a more…laidback time to be their lunch hour. Chouji promptly reminded him that he wouldn't get his favorite snack if they came later.

Oh yeah, that. Chouji was pretty sharp when it came to matters pertaining to food, he mused. The Chuunin guessed that it was an unchanging habit of his. And he was glad for that; at least that some things in the world still made sense.

Chouji put on a lot of mass, but of course that hadn't been unexpected. The Akimichi Clan specialized in jutsu which bolstered the physical size and strength of an individual, though most only saw them as fat. Muscles rippled unseen under the mass, but not hidden enough for one to assume only weight existed in the Akimichi boy. Speed-wise, Chouji wasn't the fastest and in the Shinobi world, speed was everything. But he did not think of his friend as a liability because of that. Quite the contrary, as he thought more and more highly of his friend as the years passed by.

If Chouji was a chess piece, then he would have to be a Rook, the unmovable and unstoppable tower, if he wanted to. Like the Rook in the game, Chouji was the embodiment of raw power. Compared to the 'Knights' and 'Bishops' he knew who relied more on tactics and cunning to win the battle, Chouji's method of combat was, simply put, very primitive. But such simplicity had been devastatingly effective to his advantage. Anything in his way was crushed by his great strength, just like a Rook subduing its target with a frontal assault. Even if the opponent were to retaliate, Chouji could shrug off the blow as if it was from a child. To support this analogy even more, he once saw Chouji smash rocks with his bare hands without gathering chakra to the fist, the flying fragments cutting into his flesh as he continued to pound, and was apparently unaffected by the stone shrapnel. Suffice to say, it was quite a sight for the young Nara to witness.

As he strolled with nonchalance, his lazy eyes caught hold of something for once, a figure seated at the ramen stand across the street, which had been moderately successful as of late to his knowledge, and from the looks of things, the customer was certainly giving the stall owners a hefty profit from the amount of empty bowls on the counter. He had never seen anybody with a comparable appetite to Chouji but he supposed that there was a first time for everything. A sudden flash in his mind reminded him of something but he couldn't recall, and soon, a feeling settled into his stomach. It was the feeling of knowing something but yet not knowing what that was, as if he forgotten something...A feeling he didn't enjoy much, as it was always accompanied with troublesome things. He about to continue with his thoughts before the strong tug of the giant in front of him gripped his sleeve almost gently, breaking his concentration.

"Come on Shikamaru, or we're going to get lousy seats at the buffet too!" He almost snorted at that. Even if they were late, he was sure that his considerably sized friend would find a seat or rather intimidate someone unknowingly from said seat. It was just his excuse to eat sooner. Though more importantly, that guy looked familiar…Then a familiar phrase clicked into his mind whenever it failed to produce the answers to its own question.

_Ah, forget it, its too troublesome…_

With this final thought, the Chuunin shrugged to nobody other than himself, content to leave things as it is as he followed Chouji lazily towards the BBQ restaurant. Though, there was a nagging voice which screamed to him as he walked away from the ravenous stranger and the ramen stand, but he decided to go with the flow. It was always too troublesome to do otherwise, in his opinion.

* * *

"Are you still on that diet of yours?" She asked, as she eyed the extra-thin piece of ham sandwiched between two equally thin slices of bread, comparing the succulent steak on her plate to her friend's diminutive fare. Aside from the salad Ino ordered, there was nothing much which could last the blonde through the day. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Ino huffed, trying her best not to just up and order the same delicious dish that Sakura was having.

Sakura sipped her fruit juice before diving into the tender meat with almost unladylike zeal. Ino just bit at her small sandwich, grumbling while she occasionally snacked on the salad. The things she does just to remain in shape, she sighed

Minutes later, Sakura finished her meal, and was now idly playing with the stray locks of pink hair while sipping her drink. Ino was still slowly munching the on the salad, as if trying to savor the taste. She sighed softly, which went unnoticed by Ino. She was about to reach out to grab a piece of lettuce from the bowl when someone familiar walked into her view.

The swordfighter was just across the street, walking with a hidden grace that she thought only ninjas could possess. He seemed preoccupied with his thoughts, his hair a unruly mop. It was then she noticed how familiar he seemed to her, but she couldn't pinpoint where she had seen him before. Sakura stiffened as she saw him glance at her, piercing cerulean challenging her emerald gaze.

"Sakura?" Ino noticed the look in her eyes and waved a hand in front of the girl for a few moments, before the Chuunin in question turned her attention to the blonde. "Huh? What? Sorry, I spaced out for a moment." She took a quick glance back towards the street, frowning as empty space greeted her.

"Well, that was plain rude…" Ino remarked of her pink-haired friend, taking a gulp of her honeyed tea.

* * *

Afternoon came to evening and evening turned to night. It was a cycle to him, endless and never deviating from purpose. He envied the moon for making the bleak sky beautiful with its pristine light piercing through the eternal darkness. The lights of the village-city were small dots mapping the human landscape which stretched on for miles and miles unseen during the day. He found it ironic that such things were accentuated by the darkness which threatens to engulf them without a second thought.

Standing on the balcony of his apartment, he took in a breath of the night air, almost tasting the moisture which has risen during the coolness of the night. He stood motionless, bathing in the light of the moon, as he gazed onto the noisy metropolis beyond.

A sudden pang of pain in his chest made him stagger, and he left the balcony to search in the confines of the tiny cubical that served as his bathroom. He looked at the mirror on the wall, and crimson eyes stared back. He growled with an animalistic tone, the self-control his mind provided against his instincts was fading rapidly.

A further stab of pain in his chest made it awfully clear that he needed to get rid of his excess demon blood fast. The seal on his hand granted him almost unlimited assess to powers he had never dreamed of, though he could only draw as much chakra as his body could handle, be it used for normal ninjutsu or demon-craft. And as a result, it converted tiny portions of his blood into demon blood; the process of how it was done was a mystery to him. And he knew it wasn't compatible with his body especially the first time he experienced a seizure as the vile blood accumulated into his bloodstream. When he didn't drain himself of his vital fluids, he was soon convulsing with barely enough restraint to slit himself properly, eventually restoring the status-quo within his body thus saving his life. That moment of helplessness made him humble, that he was flawed like everybody else. It was do or die situation, and the fox hadn't explained it to him until it was too late. That was a years ago and it was the beginning of his doubts towards the demon sealed securely within his navel.

Rushing to his small utility bag he carried in his travels, he took out a kunai, well sharpened and ready for use. He performed a few hand seals, before pressing the blunt side of the steel to his palms. It turned blood red a moment later, enchanted so that it would be able to pierce his skin and disrupt his healing factor temporarily. It wasn't often that he needed to do this, but when he did, it was pure torture, thanks to the enchantments on the kunai. With shaky hands, he held the crimson kunai to his arm, trying his best not to drop it. Sucking in the air, he prepared for the pain in which to come as he slashed downwards.

He bit his lips, trying not to scream as the blade bit into his flesh, continuing along while eating chakra as it went. A long, angry red path marked the kunai's descent along his arm, the blood flowing freely from the almost perfect incision he made. The pain was excruciating, and the fact that it was unbearable made it tolerable to him. It was a paradox, but he hardly cared now that the pain was beginning to fade. Many things didn't make sense in the world and yet, everything is as it should be and he didn't need to prove them otherwise else his sanity suffers. He carefully lowered his arm into the basin of water, the blood mingling with the clear water, turning it into a bright red.

The stream which poured from the gash on his arm was alive, in the sickest sense of the word, almost the entire surface of the crimson mixture shifted into different forms every few seconds. Some of them were humanoid while others resembled animals, though they were almost a mockery of them. Horn and spikes was almost a common feature in both forms. Demons. That was what they were. And they were in his blood, part of his blood, flowing through his veins with every beat of his heart.

But did that make him a demon? He had pondered the question long and hard.

Perhaps.

He watched as the blood continued to drip down, his mind and heart already numb from the pain of heart and body.

* * *

Papers, papers, and more papers.

It was a permanent mantra in the Fifth's mind, as her hands signed one document, only to reach out another after placing it into the 'reviewed' box at the side of her tabletop. The actions did not strain her as her hands were already conditioned to withstand such repeated movements. The sheer monotony of the whole thing had its purpose.

It distracted her, made her focus on things. Trivial things; like how the texture of the paper was compared to the luxurious leather chair she was occupying or perhaps the tiny creases on the documents as she took a piece by the edges. All of it was a huge distraction to her, but it wasn't working well right now. She found it ironic that she could be so distracted at one moment and in the next, remain completely aware of everything that is of import.

She groaned. This wasn't going anywhere. She stopped her work, leaning back into the reclining chair, a few squeaks heard as pressure was applied onto the steel frame. Massaging her temple, the question earlier popped back into her mind as her hands rubbed her forehead in a circular motion. The ANBU had reported that they lost track of the boy late in the afternoon and only reestablished visual contact in the evening. She had chewed out the one in charge, thoroughly disgusted by their incompetence as of late. But dwelling on that wouldn't help solve any of the questions which were constantly on her mind.

She wasn't even sure that he was Naruto. But to possess enough skill to evade the ANBU meant that he was certainly no ordinary person. But Jiraiya had also mentioned of such about Naruto, that he attained skills that no Genin, or Chuunin, for that matter, should know. However, she wasn't concerned about that very much; the prospect of his identity was still priority to her than petty things like that.

But the question remained, taunting her.

What would she do if he _was _him?

What would she do?

She contemplated this for a moment, taking a deep breath as she did.

Then again…what did she have to lose, after all?

* * *

The first rays of the morning sun came through the window blinds, illuminating the old wooden floorboards at the end. The bed was empty, untouched by him during the entire night. The self-inflicted wound on his arm had already healed, leaving behind another scar for him to add. He sat on the floor, hands cupped into a seal, before they moved with sluggish to form another. His legs were perched under him in the jagged lotus position. Sleep was something else he didn't need, and for as long as he had chakra to burn, sleep wasn't something he did regularly. It wasn't because he didn't want to, but it left him defenseless; weak and frail. And he hated that feeling, more than anything else in the world and apparently enough for him to forgo sleep if possible. He opted to do meditation in order to calm his nerves and the beast within, for both his and everyone else's sake.

A sudden knock at his door broke him from his trance, and amber eyes peered at it with a lazy anger before fading to into a cold cerulean hue. He stood slowly, ignoring the frantic knocking on his door. Without looking through the peek-hole, he opened it to find a shinobi, ANBU to be exact at the doorway.

The masked man didn't waste any time. "You're to go to the Hokage's building at 1015 hours. Do you understand?" The stony tone did not seem to brook refusal nor wished to understand the absurdity of his orders.

He waved a hand dismissively, trying his best to keep the facade up and not giving into the burning urge to smash his fist into the dog masked ANBU's face.

* * *

The office of the Hokage had changed since the he last saw of it. Gone was the cramp conditions which plagued previous holders of the title that was Hokage. Indeed, what was once a small area of space barely enough to hold half a dozen people was replaced by a large amount of space, capable of holding four times that amount, thanks to the extension of the building a few years back.

Naruto gave himself a small smile, his mask was already in place. He couldn't feel anything within himself, only the sensation of hollowness remained. Just as he wanted it to be. The Fifth had asked him some irrelevant questions after the pleasantries were done, which he happily entertained in return. He knew that she was going to ask him the question, the reason why she called him here in the first place.

"Tell me…" She paused as she tried to say the name she avoided for the past few years, "Are you…Uzumaki Naruto?"

He smiled grimly, before deciding to finally end this. Tsunade, not really believing Jiraiya, was shocked as his face shifted abruptly into that of Naruto, the whisker marks on his cheeks all but faded by age. His features were refined and thin, unlike those of four years past. But what changed the most of his eyes. To those who weren't greatly skilled in the arts of healing, they would have only seen a cerulean sheen in his eyes. However, to her, there was a myriad of colors, each one stemming from one another, the iris alternating from blue to almost crimson before shifting back, mingling together once again. But the remarkable colors faded from his eyes, replaced by dull azure orbs, once he noticed her penetrating gaze analyzing him.

"It's been a while, baachan." He waved, taking no notice of the stunned expression on the Fifth's face. Tsunade felt old feelings well up in her heart, after not seeing her surrogate brother for so long before anger flared in her.

"Do you know how worried I was for your sake?" She stated coldly, despite the joy in her heart. "Where have you been these four years!"

Naruto just continued smiling, trying to beat down the odd warmth in his heart at her concern. "No where that I shouldn't have been. Everywhere and nowhere." His words didn't make sense to her, and why was he smiling?

"What do you mean by that, Naruto?"

His smile dropped for a moment, finally gaining back his mask. "It is of no concern to you, _Hokage-sama_."

She was shocked at the venom in his words. "What?"

"Why bother with the technicalities of 'what' and 'why' when the answer is fairly simple." He said, a certain chill in his voice. "Nothing I do should concern you anymore. That was the reason why I returned the necklace to you."

The seemingly warm smile returned as his features turned into that of Karaichi Seizou, the identity he had undertaken during the trip back to Konoha. "I'm afraid this is goodbye for now." A timely knock on the door made her divert attention to it. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but there are more documents for you." The voice was muffled because of the door.

"Right, send them in." She looked back, finding herself the only one in the room, with heavy thoughts of a blonde boy who suddenly popped back into her life. Jiraiya had better have an explanation for this.

* * *

The day was beginning to end. The leaves rustled as a cool breeze brushed past, singing a dirge for the forgotten, lost souls. There was conflicting emotions within him, part of him wanted to forget everything that has occurred, to be sheltered once more by the Fifth who he saw as a sister. But the other darker side of him wanted nothing more to do with Konoha, screaming for him to leave and wander the continent once more, to drown in his darkness and despair.

"First stance. Kazeshiki." Named after the four seasons of change.

He jumped into the air, sending two kicks to unseen opponents then back-flipping onto the trunk of a tree before using it as a support to launch forward. His hands clutched the hilt of his katana, ready to be drawn from his scabbard as his form twisted continuously from the propelled speed. It was one of the hardest moves he had to master, even more so in an all-out fight. Agility was key to its effectiveness, relying greatly on the surprise factor for his attack. The focus of his onslaught, a boulder the size of a small house, cracked before it was reduced to dust.

Landing gracefully in front of the craved rock, he sheathed his sword, all the while aware of the presence of another.

* * *

She just came back from a joint mission from the Country of Wind, and she spent most of the day resting. And so after not being active , she was eager to train again. She had Lee to blame for making her have a slight training obsession. While entering, Tenten noticed that she was not alone in the isolated training fields. This was strange as she often had the field to herself, as everyone except weapon users avoid this particular training ground for other rugged terrain which were much more feasible for using and dodging ninjutsu. She quickly hid atop one of the trees, content to just observe the newcomer for now.

But she didn't expect that he was like the wind.

She watched in amazement as he moved with the skill of a true weapon master, like her. After being the only kunoichi to dedicate her form to suit the many weapons she wielded, she found the skill of other shinobi lacking in the area of weaponry, so much that she refused to train anybody except those among her family. Even then, those got boring quickly and she was starved of worthy opponents she could face in the training field with the sword. Until now, she has been training by herself, frustrated that she could make no comparison with any of her peers. And now, a rare opportunity showed itself. A genuine master of the blade was right in front of her eyes, training no less. This made it easy for her to request for a match and...

This was the perfect chance to test her abilities as a sword wielder.

She crept out of the shadows to greet him, a sense of exhilaration making her giddy.

* * *

Naruto was amused when he saw Tenten appear from the shadows. But he was completely surprised by her words.

"Fight me please." She bowed, her body and mind racing with anticipation, her hands readying her kodachi.

He looked at her considering, before he finally nodded. "Fine."

And he dropped into a stance, his right leg in front of his left, the katana in its sheath as it was before. However she found his stance strange as it was proper to put the left in front of the right so as to achieve maximum power in the opening move. And many styles, including her own, emphasized greatly on the first move. It was critical to survival that one must be ready to follow up on that, after all, no matter how superior the technique is, you can't use it if you're already dead. And it was on that philosophy that many kenjutsu were based upon.

Her style was slightly different from the rest he had seen, each one of her specially positioned that way to add power and accuracy instead of flexibility and speed in her strikes. A fairly difficult thing to master but far more unpredictable than the ones he had seen before and much more enjoyable.

Tenten made the first move, letting out a war cry as she swung her blade at him. He withdrew his own and steel met steel as the blades clashed. Skillfully, she withdrew from the weapon-lock first, after determining that his strength was something she could not afford to keep up with. Keeping her movements light footed, she circled her prey, watching intensely for any gap or opening she could find. Not surprisingly, she couldn't find any.

They continued this for a few more minutes before she lost her patience and performed one of her family's trademark moves. The Blade Whirlwind was a Jounin-class kenjutsu technique, one of the few rare sword techniques available in Konoha, developed by her family. She had seen it been performed on a dummy once and literally, nothing was left save the scattered splinters which litter the area. Normally, she wouldn't use it but her opponent's eyes beckoned her use her best against him; to give honor to one sword user as another.

He moved skillfully as she expected, blocking or dodging the blows with the fluidity of water; which was exactly what he was supposed to do. In the end, all of this served as a diversion to the true aim behind her attack, his chakra veins. Even though he was unharmed by her, every time he dodged a small part of his chakra would be broken up, leaving his muscles more pressured than normal which would result in speed lost. When her blade actually cut him before she completed the barrage, she felt a little disappointed, though feeling content at having sparred with one worthy opponent, despite him losing. She was a kunoichi after all, an unfair advantage she was happy to have. Her joy didn't last for long however.

Kawarimi? Her eyes widened as the body 'poofed' into that of a small wooden block. "I win." She looked up to see a sword pointed towards her. She took time opportunity to study his blade, it was a reversed edge, she noted with surprise. Such swords were rare and even less used by in the shinobi world. And somehow, she felt that he was holding back, even though it required a great deal of skill to wield his sword properly, not to mention the fact that he pulled a kawarimi on her. There was something definitely off with him. "It has been a pleasure." She heard him say as he sheathed the sword. He immediately walked away, leaving her stunned for a second.

"Hey! Wait! I didn't get your name!" She called out, hoping at least to catch the name of this strange person.

He stopped looking at her to reveal cerulean eyes. "Karaichi Seizou." And he walked off to find solitude once more.

* * *

He was at one of the many parks that Konoha had when Jiraiya found him, this one had been a particular favorite for him when he was younger. He remembered that he would come here often during this time, when the sun was dying and its rays basking everything in a wonderful orange hue.

"Naruto."

He didn't answer. But that didn't stop the Sannin from continuing. "I told her about you. I'm sorry."

Empty words from an empty man. There was no mistake that the ashen haired man had imparted his identity to Tsunade-obachan. From her behavior when she summoned him to her office, he could already deduce as much. Now, she was sorting out her conflicting thoughts, thanks to his words. He didn't change though, after all, it had been his true self all along. And that was exactly the reason he didn't want to reveal himself in the first place; they somehow assumed that he had changed beyond their understanding, their minds failing to realize that the Naruto they knew was a mask he had shed willing. The Ero-sennin was surprisingly cunning for all the crap he done, trying futilely to get his old self back using shame and guilt with Tsunade as the key. The whole thing showed him that the Sannin was desperate, and that turning to Tsunade was obviously a last resort. He admitted it was a good try, but the Toad-master hadn't taken in one thing into careful consideration; he didn't care anymore, and to him, such attachments were acceptable losses. He already had depended on himself and no one else, so why should he start now?

"No, you're not. Sorry, that is."

Jiraiya ignored him. "She asked whether if you would come to her office this evening, after she done with her paperwork." He knew this to be a lie; she wouldn't be preoccupied with work but rather with the words that she would say to him. Being gone for four years and reappearing all of a sudden could do that to a person. But he didn't care. If it hastened the process of which he could get out of the village, all the more he would agree. He briefly felt a pang of guilt for causing such anguish to the woman who he felt was his sister or even perhaps a mother. He couldn't accurately describe his relationship to Tsunade, be it a mother or a sister. If anything were to blame, it would be the machinations of Jiraiya. But those thoughts were crushed for they didn't matter in the end, like he did with the stupid feelings before, as he remembered why he left in the first place. The reason why he was what he was today.

"I will consider it." He heard himself say.

Jiraiya was satisfied with his answer and walked off to explore the newer districts that had been built in his absence.

* * *

Evening came quickly to him, and he found himself in front of the Hokage's building. With a weary sigh, he entered it, ignoring the looks of the various shinobi on the level. Making his way past them, he reached the second floor of the Hokage's building, a long hallway which eventually led to the Hokage's office.

He noticed a rather developed blonde kunoichi walk by, sending suspicious glances his way, before she looked away with what he thought was embarrassment when he caught her. She seemed rather familiar to him though he couldn't remember who…

Ah! Ino!

But he had no time to catch up with _old friends_, especially if they were ones who would kill anyone just because they were ordered to kill. No, he didn't have the heart to hurt them. But that didn't mean he would hold back if they attacked him first. He stopped in front of the Hokage's office, not caring about the slight glances that were thrown at his back every now and then by the Chuunin guards at the door.

He knocked on the oak door.

"Come in." Came the weary reply.

And he entered.

This time she seemed distraught. Her hair was disheveled, obviously from lack of sleep. He felt a tinge of pity at first before it was swept away in an unforgiving tide of memories. He had no need for what she offered now. He didn't need such a thing for so long and he was content with his power.

Even if he did feel hollow inside.

He stood unfazed, not by her or the huge office he was in, his eyes betraying nothing as he stared at her unflinchingly. She figured it was a good time as any to speak.

"Why," She asked, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Why did you leave?"

The boy's hair morphed and shifted, from dusty brown it gave birth to striking yellow, tangles of long strands of unkempt hair possessing a hidden grace taking the place of the once short and brown crop. His lips curved into a smile she had only seen once on one person in all her fifty years. The smile of a demon. But she saw through the mask of that smile, the sadness and despair was like an abyss, consuming him until nothing was left.

There was silence, before there was a small chuckle from him. That chuckle grew into mad laughter. And then there was silence once again.

He clasped his chin with his hands, a confounded expression on his face. And in a sing-song voice, he asked, "Why? Why oh why, I wonder?" He repeated, his tone pondering, searching for an answer like a child. Tsunade found it mocking, until she saw the lifeless glint within those dull orbs. She shivered. What did he endure to become like this? The thought lingered until a more chilling question came into mind. What had **they** done to help create Naruto into what he was now?

Naruto looked at her straight in the eye, face solemn and replied, "All I wanted was love, Tsunade-baba. And this village stripped it away from me."

"You know that isn't true." She said, her façade beginning to crack from her emotions. "We were worried for you after you irresponsibly left!" Fear and anger holding her back approaching the boy, but there was hope and dread combined as an oddly mixture as it welled up in her chest. "Come back to the village, Naruto." She pleaded, unaware of the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"And then what?" He asked silkily, catching Tsunade off-guard. "Let the Council of Leaf declare me a traitor and have me executed? You know of their strict laws concerning missing-nins, especially those which concern returning missing-nins."

"I can make them listen."

"But the Council can still out rule you, if the majority of the senior cabinet approves of the motion, and in my case, it would be a full victory to them." He countered. "You're the Hokage, yes, but even a Hokage needs the people's support in order to do anything around here."

"But even if you manage to convince them otherwise, they would still hate me. You should know why." Tsunade looked at him, a expression of desperateness in her eyes, pleading him not to give up, and that there was still hope. He laughed at that. There was no hope. Not for him.

"I tried, you know." He whispered. "I tried so hard…but they didn't want to understand, even after _that_."

"And," He continued, "If I couldn't have that, then I would get power. To be acknowledged by everyone because of my strength." His words grew harsh as he continued, "But I knew, somehow, that wasn't going to be enough. That they would still view me as an abomination, a monster only to be culled in the end. I'm hated, an outcast, a pariah."

This wasn't happening. This wasn't what she wanted at all.

"You were always so happy and carefree before! I thought you were strong enough to look past the petty prejudice of the villagers!" She shouted, tears trickling down her cheeks.

He looked to the side, a solemn expression on his face. "Then I wasn't very strong, wasn't I?" Before adding, "I'm only human, right?"

She couldn't believe what he was saying. She could believe that this was Naruto, the one who wouldn't give up, always boasting about how he would become stronger to become the next Hokage. He hadn't died in the body. He had died in spirit, an empty husk in the stead of the boy she cherished so dearly.

"Then what about your dream? Didn't it mean anything to you? Are those words you said useless too!" By now, she was near hysterical, three years of repression rushing out the floodgates.

"Hokage?" This time, venom was dripping in his voice. "To others, it may mean awe, respect and wonder." "But it means nothing to me now, all that it is but an empty title" "All I have is myself and my power." He said this with less conviction, but enough to persuade himself to continue, but she didn't notice, her mind pounding as it tried to deal with the revelation. "I trust no one and heed no voice other than my own."

"Do you really think that? That you're alone?" She whispered, the clenching and unclenching her hands unnoticed by herself. It had pained her in every sense possible to see Naruto become this way. Jiraiya was wrong. Naruto had changed, so much there was simply no trace of his former self, all that was left were the hate and anguish of his childhood. Everything hinged on her last question. She was deluding herself, hoping that Naruto truly wasn't the cold, emotionless being in front of her.

"Yes."

Everything tumbled down one final time, and she struggled to find the energy to speak. "Leave me." She croaked out, suddenly weary of everything. But most of all, from the conversation.

He didn't answer, shadows crept onto the floor, until it formed a perfect circle around him. He gave her one last look as his features changed back to the unassuming form of Karaichi Seizou, the blackness finally consuming him and soon even that slowly faded to reveal the plain wooden floorboards of her office. Tsunade sat unmoving, her heart burdened more than in anytime in her life. She hoped to find the lovable prankster that she knew today. She was wrong, only finding a faint ghost of a person she now barely knew.

The tears came steadily, tiny drops at first before becoming torrents of salty pearls. She cried, the first time since he disappeared, knowing at last, that Naruto was truly gone.

* * *

It was dark, and the only light came from the flickering candles lined at the side of the huge room as if to enclose the darkness veiling the centre like a blanket of fear. In the front of the huge arena-like room, Orochimaru would be seated in his throne of polished obsidian and carved snakes. He could not see the Snake King within the darkness but he could feel that he was there, after many experiences and encounters with the master of the Sound within his lair. An experience which many had never returned to tell of, for Orochimaru does not take kindly to failure. He idly wondered what the Sannin wanted from his star pupil this time.

The light flickered, the temperature neither hot nor cold, and there was a certain unnaturalness which lingered in this place but he paid it no mind. Fear had been purged from his mind a long time ago from the special 'training' he received, one so horrible that he blocked it from memory. Despite his mind, his body betrayed him as he shuddered that the mention of it. He was thankful for the shade of anonymity the darkness provided, knowing fully well that fear was weakness and weakness was not tolerated in this land.

He immediately knelt in the darkness, in a show of false fealty.

The Sannin spoke, though he could not see his face, he could feel that obviously pleased by this. "You may rise." He did so promptly, silently waiting for the man to continue.

"The past few years have been taxing on you, Sasuke." Orochimaru spoke with a tone that he could describe as false and cruel. "And I'm proud to say that you made the cut, though you already proved to me of that on many occasions."

He kept quiet, knowing that the Otokage was just rambling in his own deluded world. Orochimaru was delusional, always likening to keep up farces and appearances, but he was a powerful fool, if one dared call him that. He would always laugh, whether to mete out punishment or reward, though it tended to be crueler when he meted out punishment. And it was commonplace to hear the screams of the tortured within the dark corridors of this lair.

"There is a mission which I need done masterfully." He said flatly, amber eyes locked onto the form of the Uchiha, as if to observe any reaction from the boy. "And I'm assigning you a squad of mid level ninjas to do it."

The curse seal pulsed with pain as Sasuke uttered out rehearsed words, "It is my pleasure to serve."

Orochimaru laughed at his words, silently praising his skill as a puppeteer. "Very good, Sasuke-kun."

He continued, "I want you to go to Konoha and survey any potential shinobis who would pose a threat in the upcoming Chuunin evaluation which would be held in a week's time. And if possible, get rid of as many as you can." Assassination? He could do that. Pheh, was that all? This grand assignment was a mockery to his abilities! He didn't say that out loud but he was sure that Orochimaru knew what he was thinking. He was still smiling that cruel smile of his, as if he knew something that he didn't.

"You will depart today, and return to me on the last day of the month." The smile took on a more feral tone. "Remember, Sasuke-kun, that I do not tolerate failure, not even from you." Sasuke already knew that, having first hand seen what he did to those who did fail. But that wasn't a problem. The task he had been given was one he knew he would perform adequately.

"Wait." The eerie voice of his master stopped him. "There is one more matter that concerns your mission, Sasuke-kun…"

He threw a dossier at the boy who caught it lazily in one hand. Sasuke glanced at the shadowy figure with restrained curiosity and turned his attention to the file. In it, were several pages of personal information on several high ranking Leaf-nins, and it was clear to him what that information was supposed to be used for. They were probably targets of opportunity or primary targets, denoted by the red or black markings in the little box next to their names. Black meant that he or she was a secondary priority whereas anyone with red was marked for death, the prime target. It was no surprise that almost all of them had the that little red dot. And then he turned to the last page, and he was shocked to say the least.

Why was _she _in this folder?

Even through the dull lighting he still could make out her delicate features, bright pink hair framing her cherub face. And though it was shorter than the last time he saw her, she was still beautiful to his eyes, like a man in a desert stumbling onto an oasis. Then dread welled up in his chest as a shortness of breath came, the pounding of his heart loud enough for him to hear. Instinctively, he looked at the box named 'Status' which held the power of life or death.

It was red. The color of blood.

Trying to quell the sense of trepidation, he composed himself, though the implication of her presence and her 'color' within the folder rang clear through his mind. Suddenly, the silence became a piercing one as his next thoughts dawned upon him.

He was going to have to kill her, he realized at last. Was it one last attempt to sever all connections he had in the past, or was it another test for him to prove his loyalty? Sasuke was sure it was both. Trust Orochimaru to come up with something so difficult. But that didn't change the question. How could he kill Sakura?

He stiffened visibly at the thought, hoping that the darkness concealed his expression.

A sudden glint in the man's amber eyes told him that man **had **noticed the slight change in his body, throwing in a predatory glance at the Uchiha's direction, trying to use this new information against him. The silence was brief before the Snake master hissed out his next words.

"Ah, I see you recognized the beauty in there… the reports said that she was the Fifth's apprentice, and has caused no less than twenty of our own Chuunin to perish, which is quite stunning if you consider her lack of experience. Beauty and strength all in one, it reminds me of someone…" He chuckled, the clarity and impact of his words not lost on the boy. "It's a pity but…" There was a false sweetness in his voice, a thick layer of honey coating the sickening poison concealed within, like a viper waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Being the skilled actor he was, he dropped all pretence and delivered the final blow, saying those damning words as if it was the simplest of things.

"Kill her."

He could only bow, the curse seal forcing him to do so for a change. And he would obey, because he sold his soul for power.

His cold disposition came back as he slipped into his mask of indifference, his emotions and thoughts shoved aside as his Sharingan activated unconsciously.

"As you command, Orochimaru-sama."

* * *

A/N: Finally another chapter completed. To keep it short, Act IV was the setting of the stage where the next few chapters would be focused on, though I have a sinking feeling that this one was a bit confusing to all of you. This time, I supposed that the writing time was significantly shorter than the previous chapter thanks to some coaxing on the part of a certain reviewer. (Note: I hate having guilt trips) :) And remember to read and review!

Jenniyah: Its because he has been supressing it or else everyone with the ability to feel chakra would be drawn to him subconsciously.

Chubby-King-Chocobo: Don't worry, in the next chapter or two, he would have to do some sneaking around and I would probably have him prank a few shinobis for good measure.

Windwhisper: I have been working overtime to get time chapter up so I hope that this satisfies you for the moment. :P

Cobra-100: Meh, he's supposed to act apathetic, or thats just my excuse. Though I find it disturbing that this version of Naruto could be compared to such a indiviual. He cares, though he's not proficient at showing it. But I will leave the angst and drama for the story. :P Sorry if this offended you in any way.


	6. Act V: Red Dawn

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

24/6/05 Note: Revised and added some new content, fixed the errors (All that I can find).

Of Blades & Blood

Act V: Red Dawn

It was very early in the morning, but the warm light of the sun was not present yet to rid the cover of darkness. All of the town's inhabitants were fast asleep, blissfully unaware of impending danger two men possessed as they moved through the streets, waiting and watching patiently as shadows darted back and forth through the blackness. One was carrying a large wrapped up sword, while the other was shorter than the first, though he wasn't any less armed than him. Both were encased in darkness as they waited quietly and patiently.

"Itachi-san…" A snarky voice said.

"Yes?" Black orbs turned to the imposing figure walking beside him.

"Are we going to visit the Kyuubi brat?" Excitement was thinly concealed under the dull repeated monotony from the experience of a thousand battles. Even he had almost missed it. Almost.

Ah yes, Karaichi Seizou, otherwise known as the missing-nin Naruto Uzumaki. He had crossed paths with the vessel of Kyuubi a year and a half ago during their mission in the Thunder Country. Needless to say, they tried to 'persuade' Naruto to come quietly. But instead, he had stolen a scroll from them. It was a kinjutsu scroll **they **had stolen from the Hidden Cloud, much to both his and Kisame's displeasure. Itachi had to applaud the boy for his efforts as it was a risky gamble; one which had paid off very well for him.

The boy had enough luck to have eluded both the Cloud ANBU and their efforts to locate him on that day and though it may be enough to deter the Thunder military but such luck didn't last long when one had the Akatsuki behind your heels. And frankly, it certainly didn't last when you've insulted the Akatsuki by stealing what was theirs. They had received their orders to locate Naruto-kun almost a year ago and Kisame was…eager to comply, to say the least. And now after a full year of tracking, they found their target and for once, he hadn't moved for quite some time. Kisame was agitated from the waiting, a trait he secretly disliked in his partner. Patience was a virtue after all. Especially in the hunt. But it seems that he wouldn't have to wait any longer.

Itachi felt a presence within the dark, the first one he had in many hours. It was clumsy and ill-concealed, not befitting of someone with the title of Shinobi and as such was considered trash. He inhaled deeply as he positioned his body in the direction of the presence. He let it out forcefully; the returning breath of air was instead the very essence of purification. Red, hot flames raced towards their target. They licked at the shadows, which flickered and shaped into writhing bodies of flesh engulfed in flame, their pitched screams begging for help as the fire consumed their frail bodies greedily.

He was calm as the stench of burnt flesh reached his nose, his black eyes gazing at the corpses of his victims with undisguised disdain. They were weak, and they had been purged.

"You won't get away!"

A Stone nin stepped into their way, his clothes singed from the flames and his eyes full of hatred as his hands flew into a mix of complicated seals, only to be cut down by the Samehada. He was killed instantly, dying as the shock of the impact crushed his bone and internal organs. Blood splattered onto the sidewalk and onto his cloak, the crimson color quickly fading into the blackness of the twilight. With practiced ease, Kisame heaved his sword onto his broad shoulders, which rumbled and leaked chakra into its master's waiting hands. He wore a disappointed expression, not bothering to wipe away the speck of blood that hit his face.

"Tch, the nins today are so weak." He began to grumble, obviously unfazed by the gore and dissatisfied with the killing. Itachi ignored the comment, walking towards the exit of the small village they stopped at the night before. The Stone had been alerted to their presence too soon, it seems. No doubt all of this was the doing of Orochimaru. The thought of the Snake Sannin made Itachi lose his calm exterior. Once the news of his foolish brother joined the Sound had reached his ears, he had lost all expectation that Sasuke would be able to at least provide a worthy battle. It seems that his brother proved to be the eternal fool in the end. Orochimaru sought to gain the power of the Sharingan, and it would be troublesome if he had gotten hold of its abilities. One option they had was to kill that man. Another was to kill the vessel which was his brother. But both could be easily arranged in the near future, should Sasuke fail to measure up to his expectations. He already failed too many times to be redeemed in his eyes.

Itachi frowned once more as his sight caught a faint flicker of steel within the shadows. "We are leaving now. This one probably alerted the others before he came to us." He pointed to the dead body on the ground.

The missing-nin looked incredulous. "Can't I at least kill one more? Its been-"

"We can indulge in your bloodlust later." The Uchiha interrupted, turning his haunting gaze onto his companion.

"But-"

"Kisame." This time he let some of his anger slip into his words. The shark-faced missing-nin just nodded, getting the point very…clearly. The killer intent in his partner's voice made him do nothing else in fear of retaliation.

He put on his sakkat, the enchanted talisman dangling from the rim, producing a hypnotic jiggle as he moved. Kisame did the same, before bandaging his spiky blade from view. Neither he nor his partner gave the corpse a second glance or looked to the faint shouts echoing behind them. A dozen kunai and shuriken whizzed passed his head, landing dangerously close to where he was.

There were at least a dozen shinobi out there within the shadows, with their weapons drawn and ready.

He turned behind, revealing the Mangekyou Sharingan under the shadows of his sakkat. It flared with an ungodly red intensity, more radiant and prominent than the normal diluted red of the Sharingan, the large pinwheels spinning faster and faster within his iris, until it became just a blurred silhouette. The pursuing ninjas felt a compelling force tug at them and all locked gazes with the Uchiha before promptly slumping to the ground, devoid of life. Soon, the spinning stopped and the frightening crimson hue disappeared into a faint red before settling completely into the colour of oblivion.

Kisame just frowned at the prodigy. "Its been the second time you used that technique. But was it really necessary this time? You know very well the consequences of using that eye." Itachi looked to the east, his black orbs staring at the sun just as it was rising from the horizon. "My capacity will not grow, if I do not test my limits. And this Sharingan is proof of that."

Itachi turned, handing over a sakkat to Kisame, who placed it on his head. Silently, they walked eastwards.

Towards Konoha.

* * *

Morning came and he was already up. Perched on the roof of his apartment, Naruto watched as the sun rose from the horizon, its color a reddish-orange like a declaration of a red dawn. It was a habit he had while traveling for so long and he never left a town before seeing the sunrise from the man-made peaks of buildings. The first of its rays danced upon him, coating him with a warm orange glow.

"Red Dawn." He whispered, the words somehow fitting the scene, a sense of deja-vu filling his mind.

He didn't like the slight twisting in his gut he was feeling right now as he remembered…

_For as far as he could see, there were endless stretches of mountains reaching as high out to the stormy sky as had nature intended. Blankets of white snow covered the high peaks of the rugged land, a blizzard storm raging over the already harsh environment. It took him by surprise by how fast the weather changed at these heights. The screeching wind was unforgivingly cold, and his bones shook whenever one passed his way, a testament to how harsh his surroundings really were. Avalanches were common and he almost found himself victim to one during the upward trek hours prior._

_He continued on the mountain path, noticing various worn out symbols carved onto the side of the mountain trail. The script was old, and even though he had explored and studied much, their meaning remained elusive but he knew why they were there in the first place. He knew because the Kyuubi has been here before, somehow in another time or form but he didn't know how he knew. These were once the fabled Heaven gates which Hidden Cloud had once used in to cross the border order to conceal its aggressive expansion towards the shinobi countries during previous wars. The passes were now unused but that didn't mean that they were not any less treacherous than they were in previous times. And now, it was the only way he could slip past the borders of the Thunder Country into the neighboring country of Sun undetected by the Cloud ANBU. _

_Soon, he would reach the peak of the trail before it would dive sharply and into a hopefully warmer climate. Naruto was sure he couldn't take another session of frost anytime soon. He pulled his tattered cloak closer, trying to keep what warmth left from escaping to the howling wind. _

_A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, and his instincts kicked in as he leapt forward onto the path in front of him, and not into the endless pit below. The shape exploded a few moments later, causing a minor rock fall which blocked the trail behind him. At this point, there was no turning back, seeing that the route he taken was inaccessible. But he was more concerned about what exploded. It had been a Kage Bushin, that much he knew, an exploding type too. The fact registered in his mind and Naruto frowned. There was only one person he knew that uses that technique…_

_Uchiha Itachi. _

_Shit._

_He was being followed after all. A small whizzing sound in the air made him sidestep, and he threw a few kunai as shuriken flew all around. The empty space blurred for a bit before it was occupied by shadows but they were not new to him and had wore the same black cloaks he remembered four years ago, the distinguishable red clouds spread ominously over a bleak surface. _

"_Ah, Itachi-san and Kisame-san, what a pleasant surprise!" He barely managed to say, his mouth felt awfully numb, long since frozen dry from the cold. _

_The two missing-nins were not amused. "Return to us the scroll, Naruto-kun, and I assure you that you will live another day." Itachi stated, seemingly oblivious to the freezing temperature. But the periodic shaking told him that it wasn't the case. Naruto snorted mentally. Even they have their limits, it seems. _

_He didn't answer though, dropping into the Tiger stance he so favored. Through the thick snow, he caught sight of the unmistakable flash of crimson. Naruto grinned. The Sharingan was impotent against him, or any other demon host for that matter. _

"_Your Sharingan will not work on me. Or have you forgotten?"_

"_I do not need the Sharingan to kill you."_

_He stopped suddenly, a sharp pain flaring in his chest, as if someone was carving his insides with a kunai. He forced himself to move, barely avoiding the upward stroke of the Samehada. The snow storm intensified even more, and hail was beginning to rain down upon the three. _

'_What the hell is going on?' He screamed through his mind, as the searing pain began to spread over his body, bringing prickling numbness through the cold as he brought his katana to slice the Uchiha. He dodged though, with swiftness not comprehensible to the untrained eye. _

**_-Your blood has been poisoned by my power and you will die if you do not drain yourself of it.-_**

'_You seem awfully calm about this…' Naruto growled, as he continued to exchange blows with the missing-nins. His legs cramped up for a moment and he felt a tiny prick in his leg, his flesh and cloth alike were ripped away by the grotesque sword the shark-faced nin wielded. Jumping back, he gave the wound an unconcerned glance, shifting his body into a defensive crouch. He tried to ignore the bleeding mess that was his leg as it healed, though it was considerably slower than before. He heard a brief chuckle from Kisame. _

"_Getter slower now, are we? I thought you were faster the day before." Kisame said, his voice filled with mock. Naruto didn't answer, his hands beginning to form seals at a frightening speed. And as fast as it began, it ended with the words, "Katon: Ryuusakeme_ _no jutsu…" Itachi frowned while Kisame raised his sword in defense. Nothing happened and Kisame gave a snort. "Was that it? And here I thought-" _

_BOOOOOOMMMMM! _

_An explosion which rocked the entire valley. Soon, there was a great amount of smoke rising into the air before a hollow shrill echoed through the ravine, before settling into silence. Suddenly, a large dragon entirely composed of flame burst forth from the cold wastes of the nearby mountain side. Its sheer size took both missing-nins by surprise. Without warning, it spat out great balls of fire, similar to the trademark Goukayuu no jutsu of the now defunct Uchiha clan, howling an ear-piercing screech as it did. Without a moment wasted, Itachi moved with inhuman speed, avoiding the most of the fiery projectiles while sending fire jutsu of his own at the ones he couldn't dogde. Passively, Kisame stood his ground while his hands were forming seals as the fireballs continued to race towards him, melting snow and scorching rock as it went. _

_The nukenin stared on without expression, his hands finishing the last of his seals. He broke out in a grin as he yelled, "Suiton: Suiryuudan no jutsu!" The considerable puddles of melted snow from the fire dragon's earlier attack vibrated, before being pulled violently by an unknown force. It was small at first, but soon a large visible sphere of suspended water hovered in front of Kisame, who was still grinning and unmoving. Suddenly, the sphere condensed violently, compressing and enlarging in mid air before it finally morphed into the shape of a dragon._

_Turning to the incoming flaming orbs, it swatted them away as if they were flies, snuffing out the flames as it did. Kisame smirked, directing his hand towards the flame serpent. His summon gave a roar, before charging into the much larger fire dragon, its watery claws attempting to slash downwards. The two titans battled it out but the creature of flame triumphed in the end but not before getting rammed by the water dragon in a last suicide dive, forcing it to revert back into large splashes of water it was once before. Another water elemental, this time much smaller than the one before, slammed into the creature of flame, its body reduced to vapors. The dragon, though at the edge of existence, was not deterred and continued sending large amounts of burning gases towards its targets, until an engineered avalanche of water and snow brought its end, no doubt done by the Uchiha. _

_Standing on the scorched ground, Itachi regarded the blonde with detached interest. "Ryuusakeme…a dangerous technique that is," Itachi looked at the now smug Naruto, "A legendary elemental technique, believed to be lost during the First War. Few know of its existence, let alone its usage. Tell me, where did you get it?" _

"_It's a secret." The blonde coldly stated. "Definitely not up for discussion."_

_Itachi closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did. "I see. A pity then." Naruto caught a brief flash before he jumped away as the dark purple flames burned away at the spot he was just standing on. The Amatersu was no equal to the Ryuusakeme in terms of power but still, it was nothing to scoff at, seeing the holes smoldered deeply within solid rock. Add to the fact that its time for preparation was almost non-existent, and you have one hell of a technique._

_The battle raged on. This time the Uchiha attacked from a distance, sending at him small balls of flame with the power of a dozen explosive tags, while Kisame kept Naruto busy with his huge sword, attempting cleaves and swipes with raw power and skill. Naruto was hard-pressed, not because of his lack of skill with the blade but because the unbelievable weight of the Samehada in conjunction with moves clearly meant to dismember him made it all the more difficult. Kisame, sensing a opening, swung the massive blade, leaving Naruto with no choice but to block. It landed with a great clang as the thin katana supported the slab almost barely. Pain shot through his arm as Naruto continued to bear the colossal weight of the sword, his bone and muscle already buckling under the strain. He almost collapsed as another spasm made him lose his grip, his jutsu earlier weakening him. Fighting two S-class criminals at once was more difficult than he thought. _

'_I'm losing here, fox!' He all but screamed at his tenant. _

_**-I have told you before; my powers are not without consequence. Your blood carries my essence but your body is weak and frail, thus it cannot adapt.- **_

'_I know that already! But can I still use your powers right?' He asked snappily, his mind stressed enough by the battle. _

_The fox let out a great rumbling laugh, echoing within the confines of his mind. **–It would hasten your demise and prolong your suffering, but otherwise, it would work…-** The fox's apathy was beginning to disturb him but he had no choice, his strength was fading and he was slowly being overpowered by the agents of the Akatsuki. Without delay, he began unlocking the limiters he placed in his mind, a indescribable but familiar sensation trickling into existence as the last of the locks were undone. As if water from a burst dam, a rejuvenating rush soothed and ran over his scorching veins, only to be burned by a agony thrice fold than what he felt before. He forced his screaming body to move, but even a step was like an eternity of torture to him, let alone the fast paced movements he needed to do to survive. _

_He tried to stop his quaking, his body betraying his mind as his hands shook from the pain, but he could not look away from his opponents. His defenses became temporarily open as another agonizing spasm engulfed his body. It was a small window of opportunity but it was enough for them to act. They would kill him if they have to and there was no time left- _

"_Time's up, Naruto-kun." He heard someone, Itachi, whisper before he felt a sharp pain driving through his flesh. He looked down to see a steel blade protruding grotesquely from his chest, its surface stained with blood. His blood, he thought, almost rueful and fascinating, as if it was not his own blood soaking that blade. _

"_You will not die just yet. The power within you will not permit it…" _

_Those words broke him from his trance, and Naruto twisted behind, ignoring the pain as he did, his fist charged with charka as slammed it into Itachi's face. He stumbled backwards before exploding into a puff of smoke. Kawarimi, Naruto realized, already too late. "Over here.", was all he heard before another stab pierced into his side, but his body no longer was registering the physical pain that was being inflicted on his body. The only feeling he knew was of the burning agony within the centre of his being. With enraged eyes, he removed the blade embedded into his body, as if it was a mere toy, the wound healing as soon as the object was removed. _

_One thing was clear to him. _

_He could not win today. Not in the condition he was in. Not with this blasted pain lodged in his chest._

_Not with his weakness._

_He took a few steps backwards, sending small rocks plummeting into the black chasm below. He let himself fall from the ledge, all the while glaring into the apathetic crimson of the Sharingan…_

Naruto shook his head, trying to clear the memory of that day. He was reckless that time and many times before but when he had found out about his cursed blood, that revelation had almost cost his freedom and his life. The fox promised him power and had fulfilled its bargain but it did not tell him of its effects. Not only that, there was now a deep and insane rage growing within him, like a parasite devouring what was left of his old self, and the only thing he felt now was anger and bitterness. But he was still able to call upon its powers with ease, though his body could not keep up with the strain for long and he began to use it less and less, causing the Kyuubi to degenerate back into its primal instincts; the need to cause devastation.

Even now, it is raging within him, trying to break free of its prison. And for a few times, it almost succeeded before he pushed the invading presence from his mind. Now, all attempts at reasoning with the demon proved futile, and any semblance of intelligence that the demon once had was gone, leaving behind a mindless and untamable power within, existing only to destroy. Before, he sought to gain power to compensate for the void which lingered in his heart for as long as he could remember.

He gained it, at the expense of his heart, something he found easy to throw away even now. A reasonable price to pay, he would often say to himself, even if it sounded hollow to him. His power was beginning to burden him, both mind and body. Coming back to this village made him realize that. But he had come too far to turn back now; too late to give up what he sacrificed so much to gain. Jiraiya and Tsunade could not possibly understand. Power was the only thing he had; he had already given up on trust and understanding. He had hoped, albeit a small one, that he could find those within them but all it took was the look in their eyes to confirm his fears.

They were afraid of his power and what he had become. They were convinced by his words and manner that he was consumed by the Kyuubi.

Which was not far from the truth, though he kept the demon at bay from eating away what was left of his soul.

Or perhaps that was just his warped perspective, much of it clouded by his unnatural rage. Perhaps they were willing to accept him again, with all his flaws and pain. But this was better for him and them. The maddened but useful foresight of the Kyuubi had given him a glimpse of the future and it was too late to turn back on his path. Too late. As for everybody else they need not worry about him. They didn't need to know any further than the fact that he was a monster.

He laughed bitterly. Tsunade backed down she realized he wasn't the Naruto she remembered. A logical choice he would have made if he were them. After all, who would want to acknowledge one such as he? But it hurt him deep down for him to say those things, even though he had renounced all of his ties to his former life and rebuked all their concern with indifference. It had opened up more wounds than he liked to admit. He didn't want to feel that kind of pain again. Just like when Sasuke left. Emotions were just a hindrance to him, and he failed to erase his when he had the chance, and it was already too late to regret.

But he did not take back his words. That was his Nindo. Solitude was the path he had chosen to walk, and he would walk it all the way. It was funny considering, since he left all things of his past behind.

His eyes hardened.

No matter, he would leave tomorrow; he spent too much time wallowing in self-pity, time which would be better spent training. Jumping from the roof, he landed onto the balcony of his room, dusting his clothes off as he shut the windows behind him. He needed to find some place to clear his thoughts, his morning already ruined.

It was quite early in the morning, though there were many shops open for business. A few of which were providing sake already. He passed by one particularly boisterous bar, and that was when he heard something interesting.

"Hey, you know about that event they're organizing in a week from now?" Finding himself a nice spot to eavesdrop, he remained there, making himself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Of course! Its been the hot topic for the past month or so, everybody is talking about it!"

"Yeah, they say that it's going to be like the Chuunin exam, but instead of low level ninjas fighting, we get to see the top stuff at work. Definitely better than seeing some kids going at it in a stadium. Besides, the betting season just started, so I was hoping to make quick money when they announce the contestants." There was the sound of a cup slamming onto wood as this was said.

"Ah, you forget that its going to be held in the Wood Country, not here in Konoha. The stadium there is way bigger than what we have, and there are much more spectators than the Chuunin Exam. Not to mention, the security here is too rigid to allow it to happen within Konoha which is a real pity. But they say that the Kages from the various Shinobi countries are going to attend though. I wonder why, with all this talk of war going on."

A slightly tipsy voice spoke out next. "Bah! That's what they always say. War here, war there, it's always the same. Not much fun if you ask me. Besides, I wouldn't bother thinking too much, since there is something to watch, why not? Entertainment is rare thing nowadays. So, what is it about anyway?" There was some shuffling before another voice replied, though this one was more calm and subtle than the ones before it.

"It's the First Under the Heavens Tournament, held every fifteen years." The voice said. "It's the longest running tournament as far as I can remember. It is open to all; if I remember correctly, though now only shinobi are the only ones who join. They say that whoever wins this gets the title of the strongest person within the Five Countries. Though more importantly to the ninja, whoever wins would represent their country's power. Killing of opponents is allowed and I fear that war would start again because of it, just like the Leaf and the Cloud twenty years ago."

There was a short burst of laughter from the shop, mostly caused by a great deal of sake. The voice continued once more. "You worry too much, Eibo-kun. Those Kages know the risk of entering their shinobi into this tournament. And if they can't afford to lose their best… Well that it will only serve to show how weak they are. Frankly, it's going to be better show this time, yes, definitely better…" The voice trailed out and vomiting was soon heard just as a nauseous smell wafted to his position.

"I think you had enough, Tiro-san. We better get you to the doctor…" With no more apparent information to be gained, Naruto resumed his walk, his thoughts centered on the new information he received. Indeed, there was going to be a tournament which would be held a week from now in the Wood Country, directly south-west from the Fire Country.

The news of the upcoming tournament was not new to him. The interesting thing was the sudden willingness of participation from the Sound. They had amassed great numbers throughout these four years, almost rivaling the numbers of the Five Shinobi countries individually. And the fact that many from the Sound were dispatched to kill him compared to the dwindling numbers of Hunter-nins from the various shinobi powers gave him ample clue to this. Not that it worried him, provided that they could catch him in the first place.

He had already suspected that something was amiss. The Sound was ruthless in their quest for dominance, as far as he knew, and had no time for petty things like this competition between individuals. So why would that snake Orochimaru be keen to invest manpower which would be better used elsewhere in his schemes? He didn't seem to the type who would openly show his power, preferring to work within the shadows and reveal himself at the last possible moment.

The answer continued to elude him, logic and the lack of information preventing him from reaching a satisfactory conclusion. He filed it away in his mind for another time when things became clearer. But right now, he had other pressing matters to attend to. Ever since he left his apartment, he noticed that there were shadows trailing after him. At first he didn't pay them any mind, as they didn't give off any noticeable chakra but as time wore on, there were more and more outward signs of shinobi tailing him.

His experience with Hunter-nins had proved invaluable to him, as they were the best in stalking their targets unnoticed. Detecting them was all but an impossible feat for a normal shinobi. But he was well versed in their techniques. Clearing his mind, he let his senses gradually expand into the surroundings as he funneled chakra into his eyes.

Soon, his sight of colour and shape was slowly replaced by one of grey and light. Everyone to him was now just lights of varying brightness, the brighter ones possessing more chakra than the fainter ones. This technique was a modified version of the meditative trance he practiced though its purpose was a practical one. He looked around, sieving through the ocean of light, searching for any sign of disturbance. They were concealing their powers but it was not long before he uncovered them, now they were beacons of light compared to the dimness of those surrounding them. There were a dozen in total, all of them ANBU-level at least, nothing he couldn't handle. He stopped the flow of chakra to his eyes, slightly amused to find several people staring at him oddly.

As if he cared.

His thoughts turned to his spar with that girl yesterday. She was quite good, though her form was immensely sloppy. Still, he couldn't fault those who did not master the art as he did. And she held promise, he could feel it. She looked familiar though, but he could not put a name to the face. No matter, it was not important.

Perhaps he should pay the training grounds a little visit…

* * *

Tenten waited patiently for the last two hours. She replayed the moves and strokes of the spar in her mind, scrutinizing the memory for any mistake at all. She couldn't afford to get it wrong. Her anxiety increased when she found there was no mistake at all. All the reflexes and movements of her opponent were of the highest efficiency to strike and block, something which she found disturbing, for no such style had existed which exhibited the highest level of mastery over the flow and intensity of combat.

None could claim such credit but here she was, a witness to what was the most fluid fight she ever been in. There was no doubt in her mind, it was the Dragon style, its true name lost over centuries of legend. A form that was thought a myth where one became one with his sword; the master form of all sword disciplines.

Tenten could barely contain her excitement. This was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she thought, if only that man showed up today…

Then as if answering her prayers, the one who she wished would appear finally did.

She confronted him with a hard stare. "You know the Dragon style." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. So?"

She bowed low to him. "Teach me please."

And things went on from there.

* * *

"Nara-san, more reports for you to grade!" He didn't really have anything to grade, but he knew what it meant anyway. "Got it!" He yelled back from his tiny office within the Ninja Academy. Soon, a small stack of papers came through the door chute to his office. He took the stack before dumping it on the side of his table, which was already cluttered with stacks. To the rest of the world, he was Nara Shikamaru, Academy teacher for the past two years, with everything normal and checked out. Mediocre, his other superiors would say. A lazy bum, if anyone bothered to ask. But that was just a front. In reality, he was Nara Shikamaru, a strategist part of the Special Affairs Bureau's Tactical subdivision. But the reason why would an intelligence officer be doing in a school and not in some fancy administrative office was simple.

He was undercover as a teacher for his and Konoha's protection. The truth of the matter was that, the Special Affairs Bureau _did_ not exist. Or at least on paper, it didn't. And thus it ruled out any large buildings which could be headquartered for their use. The fact that most of the Leaf's information networks were assessable by his division made it clear that discretion was key. How a person as lazy as him would even volunteer his services was a mystery to him, and he opted to believe in the words, 'the spur of the moment'.

And right now, he really hated that phrase. Most of it largely due to the unshrinking amount of documents he had now…

_He didn't why he was called here, though he was thinking of why he was here when he hadn't offended nobody._

_"Tell me, what do you think is the most potent weapon a shinobi has?" Normally, Shikamaru would have said something along the lines of 'I don't know.', but he felt an aura from the man which spoke of a hidden intelligence which outmatched other, and he decided to entertain his host for a while. What was a ninja's most potent weapon? Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu were all destructive in their own right and each were equal in that sense, but it still fell on the shinobi himself to decide what to use best. So the answer can't be Tai, Nin or Genjutsu but something else...and Shikamaru found the answer. _

_With laidback assurance, he replied, "The mind, sir." _

_Hitaro seemed pleased with the answer. "You are correct. The most powerful thing a shinobi could ask for is their minds." _

_"With the right information and acting according to it, even the most impossible odds can be turned to your advantage. As such, it isn't the power of the fist which decides the things that matter in the end but this." He tapped his head. "Knowledge is Power, and no one else knows this better than we."_

_Shikamaru wasn't really sure what this was going to lead to, probably something troublesome, he surmised. What the man said was almost similar to his nindo, though it was more of a personal quote than anything else. The words 'Knowledge is power' struck home more closer than he liked. However, it was both a frightening and ecstatic thought that someone else could think like him. Perhaps this person was good at Shogi too…_

_"But enough of my rants, so I will get to the point." He withdrew a folder from his desk. "We have long heard of your exploits, Nara-san. And we were wondering whether you would consider our proposal…" The man trailed off, an enigmatic smile on his lips. _

_Shikamaru was curious, and cautious. "And that would be…?" _

_The man tapped his desk twice, and immediately the window panels folded, blocking the view from the outside. "Whatever that is going to be said will not leave this room, do you understand?"_

_He thought about it for a moment before replying. "Fine by me."_

_Then he asked the question which would change his life forever. "We would like you to consider joining the ranks of the Special Affairs Bureau." _

"_I didn't know of any agencies going by that name."_

"_I would be surprised if you did, Nara-san." He continued to explain. "The key to any battle isn't just being stronger than your enemy but rather knowing how many 'strong' individuals they have, when and where they are deployed, and how to accomplish the mission objectives with the minimum amount of effort. The ones in charge of the ANBU realized this, but they have been unable to facilitate the channeling of so much vital information at one go when we really need it." He smiled grimly, "And that's why we exist." _

"_While the ANBU are capable of making split-second decisions on their own, they lack the insight to predict things on a larger perspective. Yes, organizing an assassination is easy. But at what cost? Resources are wasted and lives may be lost due to error of judgment when such could be avoided with proper guidance."_

_"Shikamaru-kun, we are different from the rest of the village. They value strength, stealth, and other physical traits which no doubt makes their jobs easier. While we, on the other hand, value something more substantial and lasting. Information that nobody else possess can be used to your advantage with devastating effects. Consider this, what are the chances that the ANBU could orchestrate mass and coordinated strikes against well-hidden targets during a war? The answer: Zero." _

"_The Special Affairs Bureau is set up as a controller organization, directing manpower and resources as efficiently as possible. And to do this, we need to gather all the talent we can get. You, for example, are one such individual we are interested in for quite some time."_

_There was a pause. "What if I don't want to join?" He asked tersely, faking boredom. But inside, he was feeling a bit of apprehension. _

_Unexpectedly, the man laughed. "Your father thought that you would say that."_

_The new information pieced itself together in his mind, and the whole puzzle became so much clearer. "Wait, he recommended me?" _

_"Yes." Hitaro straightened himself. "Your father was part of the Bureau for quite a considerable time before he decided to transfer to the ANBU. Too lax, as he said. We were looking for new candidates recently and he mentioned that his son had the potential, though he was a tad lazy." Internally, Shikamaru tried to stifle a groan. Figured that his father tried to dump something troublesome on him again after failing to sign him up with the ANBU. _

_Sensing his somewhat resigned mood, Hitaro tried to assure the Nara. "Well, don't worry too much, since this is a big decision, time is something you can afford to waste. Just don't take too long to decide though..." _

And the rest of history. But he didn't really have a choice; the _Hokage_ herself requested him to join. The first year of duty was relaxing, but that quickly changed when war officially broken out with the Sound.

Lax was hardly the term to describe his work now. And honestly speaking, it was almost as dangerous as a real mission. Entire teams depended on his every decision, each one deciding failure or success, life or death. Like Shogi, information had to be analyzed quickly to ensure that that you were one step ahead of the enemy.

But that's where the similarities between the game and his work ended. Unlike a game where pieces were just pieces, this time the 'pieces' he was giving orders to were _real_ people, not just lifeless plastic on his board, and as such there was no room for mistakes. Plus, he didn't think he would sit well with the fact that somebody's death was on his hands if he failed. So naturally, he felt the need not to screw up, and fortunately, the mentioned screw up didn't happen yet and with any luck, never will. It was a stressful thing though, knowing that life could be either saved or loss with his signature on a piece of paper. And sometimes he wished that he could share his secret with someone. But he refrained from doing so. Not even Chouji or his parents knew of this, though he felt his father, Shikaku, had some faint inkling about this since he was the one who saddled him with this mess. And for the foreseeable future, it would remain that way. Signing several oaths of loyalty to Konoha and eternal silence about the matter was a clear indication of that.

He sighed, feeling the heavy burden on his shoulders once again. He switched on his computer, which was a technical marvel and mystery to him. Electronics was a completely military-only asset because of the high cost of protecting the hardware from high concentrations of chakra. While scrolls were preferred over the use of technology such as his computer in terms of cost and simplicity, they weren't the best in performance and thus he opted to learn the complex system The screen prompted him to enter his username and password. He did so, and watched as the words flowed endlessly down the screen, filled with information such as troop placements, hidden caches in the various parts of the Fire Country, etc, etc. Basically, it was information that Orochimaru would gladly kill to have, which brought him back to the severe importance of secrecy once again, because if that snake gotten wind of him somehow…

He shuddered. It wouldn't come to that.

Hopefully.

The danger of being kidnapped was there, but unless someone within the division betrayed Konoha and made special mention to his name, he could live with relative peace. It was an acceptable price to pay for knowledge. He had always been a knowledge-junkie, reading up as much as he could when he wasn't watching the clouds, something that he desperately hid from his parents to a certain extent of success. And it was an added bonus that he had at his disposal, the vast network that made up the Konoha Intelligence Division. (Though as much as he would like to soak in additional knowledge, cloud watching still took priority.)

With a sigh, he shut down the machine, the screen blanking out. A small beep from his desk alerted him of a summons to his boss's office later; probably to give him more work or information to analyze.

Joy.

Without the desire to do anything but sleep, Shikamaru contented himself with the only way he knew how for the past few years; a cold cup of coffee on his messy desk.

* * *

"You assigned the ANBU to observe Uzumaki?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I felt that it was-"

"That boy is my responsibility, not yours!" She snarled at the presumptuous man standing in front of her, forgetting that he was the Director of the Special Affairs Bureau, a position of considerable pull within the political workings of her administration. "Your division only needs to focus on the frontlines, no more, no less. Jurisdiction of internal affairs does not fall under your control!"

He ignored the outburst and the murderous glare sent to him. "On the contrary, Hokage-sama, the Fire Council emphasized that security must be maintained during these turbulent times. And I have all the authority I need to ensure that it is remained so." Despite the thick veil of anger on her logic, Tsunade knew that it was true. It was a measure to keep the Hokage's power in check, political red-tape she still had to accept. Sometimes she wondered why she took the job in the first place.

"And how is assigning twelve of the best ANBU we have on a kid is supposed to do that?" She asked a bit loudly, the soundproof design of her office not allowing any of her rants to transverse to the outside. If this was a normal time, she would be thanking the architects but now, she couldn't care less. The man simply blinked.

"Correction: A kid who just so happened to aptly avoid our Hunter-nins for the last four years or so. We're still quite worried about his appearance within the village."

"That isn't the point! He's still a minor!" It irked her though, how Naruto managed to become so... powerful in such a short amount of time. And he changed so much.

"They can be recalled easily should the need arise, you of all people should know that…" Hitaro dismissed the Fifth's icy glare while the temperature within the room dropped a few degrees. "Still, he won't be harmed, if that is what you're concerned about, unless he starts something that would endanger the wellbeing of the village We cannot allow another incident like the one 16 years ago to happen a second time, despite how you think. I trust you would understand, _Hokage-sama_?"

Tsunade tried her best not to kill the man on the spot. "Of course." She waved a hand, signaling for him to leave. He did so, giving a quick bow as he exited. Once he did, she crushed the empty mug in her hands, her quick temper fading as fast as it came.

She sighed, her weariness catching up to her. She was hurt greatly by his words yesterday, having spent the better part of the night reigning in her thoughts, but there was a small part of her that was too stubborn to believe his words. She still clung on to the old memories of the boy. Or perhaps it was denial on her part. Her stubborn streak always seemed to hurt her in the end, it seems. A cloud of depression loomed over her. Yes, maybe it was just denial, after all, Naruto was dead to her for the past few years. She had managed to cope; to believe that he was in some better place. So what were another few decades of loss and self-delusion worth to her? Absolutely nothing at all.

Then why, she asked herself, was she so adamant about the whole thing? Loneliness and pain was something she was accustomed with. But there was a voice in her mind, telling her on to believe while another told her to despair. She could afford to trust the voice, the one telling her to give the boy the benefit of doubt, one last time. Hopefully, her luck would change and everything would be fine.

With a heavy sigh, she found herself with one thought. One which lingered quite long before it was washed away from the motions of the day. _Naruto, please don't do anything stupid…for my sake. _

* * *

Kakashi removed his grinning ANBU mask, throwing it haphazardly onto his desk. He just gotten back from patrol duty and was very, very tired. As he removed his white armor-vest, he grabbed a can of tea from the fridge, guzzling down the cool liquid before throwing it into the bin with pin-point accuracy. An accuracy which was finely honed after years of practice, .

For now, he was off duty from the hectic missions he had been assigned with, though it was a momentary rest. There was a copy of the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise but he had no desire or time to read it right now. Instead his mind was occupied with thoughts of his former team; their group picture had been framed along side with the one from his Genin days. Happier days when things were simpler. But nothing was eternal, especially innocence.

Now, all that was left of former Team 7 was Sakura, who even then left his care to be taught under the Fifth because she had expressed her willingness to teach the girl, along with the small fact that there were no free spaces on the existing Genin teams. The other two of his dysfunctional 'family' were now missing-nins, one apprenticed to Orochimaru, the other wandering who-knows-where. All in all, it was a wonderful record for the first team he actually taught and cared about.

_Fine job you did, Hatake._ He thought bitterly, remembering how distraught both his former students were, before Naruto finally snapped and ran away, leaving behind Sakura to cope for herself. He was one of those who were assigned to bring the boy back, but he failed because of the dire circumstances surrounding the retrieval operation. He didn't place blame of failure on that though. He placed it on himself, and he knew that it was true. If only he had been faster, stronger, perhaps then, Naruto and Sasuke would be still here…

But they were not. That was a fact, and he was good at facing the facts, even if he didn't want to hear it. It was almost natural to him, that is, until he removed the wall that shielded his heart from the world. It was then the feelings of guilt and self-hatred came to torment him. It was one of the reasons why he read those books in the first place. They distracted him from reality, allowing him to only focus on what was written, not on the present. Another one of his distractions was Sakura. He still met up with her occasionally, if only to spar for a bit and give tips and advice as she went along, though those times were becoming less and less frequent due to his active status as ANBU and hers as a Chuunin. He wondered why he even did it when all he wanted was to sleep, to avoid the world as much as he can. Maybe because he didn't want to lose the last link he had with his former students or perhaps it was something else. But he didn't think he would be able to sleep if he didn't do that. He was sentimental like that, it seems.

His thoughts turned once more on his former students. Sasuke, of course, was plotting against the village. He was on the other side of the line in this war. And he dreaded to meet him on the battlefield, not because of his strength but rather, he was not willing to face a situation where he had to choose between his orders and his once-prized student. He knew which one he would choose, in the end though but that didn't make it any more pleasant.

And then, there was the last piece of the puzzle. In fact, Naruto was the only one who was not accounted for, dead or alive. All records for the blonde have been erased the minute he was declared a missing-nin, something which was courtesy of the Special Affairs Bureau and their stupid Internal Security Act. Everything, small things like his date of birth and school records were also gone, and now it was as if he didn't exist. A fleeting memory, much like a forgotten dream.

And now, he almost felt that his time with Team 7 was just that. A bittersweet dream.

* * *

Sakura wandered down the dirt path which led to the training grounds. She passed by her usually area which was already taken, this time she felt the need for solitude and chose to go to the weapon area which was often deserted. Her kodachi was strapped to her back, but its weight was a foreign feeling to her since it was months ago since last she used the weapon. She didn't want to at first, but Tenten had been willing to impart to her decent knowledge of the weapon as a late birthday gift.

She accepted it, though slow at first.

Since then, she had quickly taken to the sword, though her true calling laid in the subtle art of illusions and it wasn't often that she used the sword in her missions, preferring Ninjutsu to do the job. Taijutsu was one of her more favorable methods of fighting though, much to her surprise, after being taught the by her sensei. She saw little of the rest of the Rookie Nine, save for the few she still kept in touch with, most notably Ino and Tenten. Sometimes, she was assigned with Neji, and though he was hardly a conversationalist, they made small talk quite often enough if only to dispel the eerily silence. He still got on her nerves sometimes from his natural arrogance.

She saw Tenten practicing her sword, but there was someone else. Someone who looked familiar…

Her eyes widened. It was that man, whose manner and speech was a mystery to her. But before she could even speak, she heard him say something to her friend, who looked disappointed but had a shimmer of contentment concealed within her eyes. The man she knew as Karaichi Seizou walked away and steadily approached her. She stopped, as if some force compelled her to stay put, as he walked even closer to her.

She frozen stiff and was _delusional_. Instead of the short locks of brown she expected, it was now _blonde_. Gone was the aloofness in those sapphire eyes, replaced by something else she couldn't see. It was for a moment, but it felt like an eternity to her as she wondered where she had seen those orbs before. _I know those eyes._

Before she knew it, he had passed her, never giving her a glance as she did him. "Sakura?" She blinked, and turned to Tenten, who was currently giving her a questioning look.

"Yes?" She asked, not really recovered from her experience.

"I was wondering whether you were participating in the Spring Tournament." She said, sheathing her katana into its scabbard. "With all the assignments being given this year,

She let herself a small grin. "Of course, why would I not want to join this year? Who knows, maybe I will be paired against you this time?" Sakura jerked her thumb to her own katana strapped to her back. "Maybe we could put on a sword performance just this once."

Tenten laughed.

Then a thought struck her. What was her friend doing before she came? "By the way, what was he doing before?"

"Oh? You mean Karaichi Seizou?" Sakura nodded as she found it odd to find her friend in such company. "Well…he was teaching me some sword forms."

Sakura wasn't convinced. Tenten? Learning from some mysterious person whose skills are sub-par to her own? "What do you mean? You're the best weapon user in Konoha! Surely, you must be joking."

Tenten looked flustered. "Well, to be honest, it wasn't _exactly_ learning, more like trading tips." Again, Sakura wasn't convinced, her experience with lies tied neatly together with her instinct. The truth dawned upon her. He was, indeed, _teaching _her. Her curiosity in 'Karaichi Seizou' increased. To be of the same skill level as a renowned weapon user or perhaps even higher, not to mention, his almost unnatural reflexes, it was really as if he was someone else and not the unskilled swordsman that Jiraiya-sama introduced them.

Who was he really?

* * *

Wooden furniture was common in offices, homes, restaurants, bars, etc, etc. Heck, everywhere in the village. Common, as anyone would say.

But this smell of oak and pine did not feel right to him. There was a musty tint to it, showing off long years of existence which did not sit well with his nose. Normally, such a thing would not bother him, and anything truly bothersome was ignored by him. Women, for example was one of those things. But this, however, was an entirely different thing altogether. He passed by a wooden statue on his way in. It was nothing special, the entire thing was the shape of a sentinel from the olden times. But there was something about it which ticked him off.

Knocking on the door once, he entered the room, the bright surroundings turning into muted shades.

Shikamaru couldn't help but feel…apprehensive. Even after being in this office so many times, he still felt intimidated. Perhaps by its owner's character or something, he didn't know. And in front of him sat a figure cloaked in semi-darkness, a computer and a wide. Yegami Hitaro was someone who was an enigma to him, even with his analytic ability. The man was in his thirties, though he looked older with his messy brown hair, bored eyes and the ever-constant frown. Hard to believe that this was very same person who offered him his job.

_But that doesn't mean I want to_, He thought. How troublesome.

"So, Shikamaru…now that you're here, I got a new job for you," Hitaro drawled, "You're organizing security detail for the big slug fest coming this week." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. As usual, something troublesome had popped up, and his already non-existent cloud watching time became even more non-existent, if that was even possible.

"I thought that article 56 of section 10 of the laws of Konohakagure made it illegal for any ninja below the rank of Jounin to command a battalion of Chuunin or ANBU." He said at once, thankful for spending that one afternoon reading up the policies of Konoha. It pays to be well-informed, after all, he thought.

"Really?" Hitaro asked unfazed, as if he didn't catch on to the ploy.

"Yeah."

"Well then, that can be fixed…" He took out a scroll from his drawing and placed it on the table. Out of curiosity, he peered at the parchment but found it rolled up. It had the seal of the Hokage on it, much like the one he received when he got promoted to Chuunin.

"It's a little late, but this removes your stupid excuse of 'being only a mere Chuunin'." Hitaro said, smirking as he did.

"What do you mean?" This whole thing stank like a rotting body to Shikamaru. Something wasn't adding up.

"You, by all rights and standard as of last year, are a Jounin." The Director for the Special Affairs Bureau simply said, motioning impatiently for Shikamaru to take the scroll. Shikamaru, however, chose to stare blankly at his boss. "Excuse me?"

"Shikamaru-kun, did you really believe that you were _only_ a Chuunin? Besides, how you do think I managed to allow you assess to the Intelligence Division's files? Though records say that you are Chuunin, it is because we simply do not exist to the general public. We follow a different set of rules than the regular forces, which you should have already noticed. Our methods and command structure aren't subject to the rigid scrutiny of the Council as long we get the job done. And that includes the promotion of shinobi under our jurisdiction without the approval or knowledge of the Hokage or any other directorial body within Konoha."

The man leaned back into his chair, which creaked with protest as he did. "With regards to this, I, as Director of the Special Affairs Bureau, reserve the right to withhold information from you, until deemed necessary."

"In other words, this was all political red-tape?" Leave it to Shikamaru to be tactful.

"Yes." The man didn't blink. "Though it's a year late, congratulations on your promotion. You will get all privileges which come with the title, excluding the vest. You know, ninja and organizational protocol number 23." Shikamaru resisted the urge to snort.

_I knew there was something fishy about that… _Shikamaru half groaned, already starting to feel a heavy load on his chest. The fact that he was a Jounin, and for quite some time it seems, was taking its toll on his foggy mind. Where was his coffee when he really needed it? "You didn't inform me of that, sir."

"Didn't inform you of what?"

"My promotion," He paused. "_Sir_."

The man just scoffed. "With the war going on, I had hardly enough time to sleep, let alone tell you about your promotion." He took a huge sip from his mug. "If you're worried about your unofficial promotion, don't worry. You didn't receive more work than you need to."

Somehow, at that point, he had a sinking suspicion that his boss could read minds. With no less wariness than he had a minute before, he took the promotion scroll from the desk and tucked it into his vest.

"Now, since that's out of the way…let's get back to your new assignment." Hitaro retrieved a black folder from his drawers, his other hand busy signing the papers on his desk. "Nara Shikamaru, you're to hereby suspend normal operations until further notice."

"What?" Came the response from the individual in question. The man in the chair sighed.

"The yearly competition which is going to take place in the ANBU training grounds, ring any bells?"

"Why am I always the one stuck with the difficult missions? This is too troublesome."

Hitaro ignored him. "In any case, you're in charge. The needed resources you need are at your disposal, use the usual channels to get it, " He tossed the folder at the boy who caught it lazily. "And everything you need to know is in there," He made a shooing gesture with his hands. "So, get out of my office."

"Gladly." Shikamaru muttered, glancing at the contents of his folder as he walked. "This is going to be troublesome…"

"Oh, by the way…don't lose that status scroll you have." He said as Shikamaru reached for the handle of the door. "Something tells me you might use it soon enough."

"Right, sir." He left, all too grateful to be out of that horrible room.

He past by the wooden statue again on his way out.

He decided that he really didn't like the headquarters.

_Hmm, must be the Fengshui or something,_ He thought at last, as the afternoon sun glared upon him once more.

* * *

As the afternoon sun descended even further with the passing time, two figured lurked within the thick foliage surrounding Konoha.

Their intent was simple.

Find a certain demon container that was named Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

She was in the midst of doing paperwork when somebody barged into her office. "Tsunade-sama!" Looking up, she saw a worried Shizune, who was holding a large stack of documents obviously waiting to be signed by her.

"What is it, Shizune?" She asked, not bothering to hide the faint strains of weariness present in her voice.

"The ANBU have reported sightings of the Akatsuki within the village's perimeter just minutes ago!" Her assistant nearly shouted, and Tsunade almost leapt out of her seat. The _Akatsuki!_ She had heard much about the group from Jiraiya a few years back when he was about to leave in search of…him. What she heard didn't comfort her very much, as most of them were at least S-class missing nins, almost on-par to each of the Sannin in terms of power. And the fact was something which had bothered her greatly. Orochimaru was enough to deal with as it is without inviting more enemies to the list. Fate, it seems, has other plans.

"Have our ANBU taken action yet?" She pressed, hoping that was not the case. Even as skilled their ANBU were, none of them were able to fight effectively against such opponents. The war with Sound had proved as much. Their Leaf units were slaughtered during the opening assault as a result, until Special Affairs took over the task of assigning how many and what units to send to the front. They have been successful to this point, with the lowest losses since a decade and hoped that it would continue so.

The raven haired medic-nin shook her head, the stack in her hands swaying as she did. "No, they are currently observing them until they are within sight of the village sentries." Tsunade let out a breath of relief at that. She couldn't afford to risk vital manpower now, the border defense was already stretched thin as it is. There was still some chance that the situation could be salvaged, provided of course that she handled matters with care.

She thought it strange, that after so long would the Akatsuki appear once again, this time quite near the village's border. What reason would prompt them into entering hostile territory?

There were a few she could think of, but one particularly nagged at her mind.

Naruto.

He had already shown that he could take care of himself, but she was worried nonetheless.

* * *

He felt their presence, one that he hadn't for sometime.

He narrowed his eyes, as he remembered the distinctive chakra signatures; he had idled within Konoha for too long. Focusing, he shifted his face back into his original one, ignoring the pain from the transformation of the bone matter. He lifted a hand to his cheek, knowing it was far too long since he last reverted to his normal looks. All he could do now was to wait for his hunters, and in turn become the hunter who stalks his prey.

But the more he thought about, the more it seemed inevitable. The Akatsuki finally found him.

* * *

They saw their target in the training fields, within close proximity of the Old Woods. Day had turned to night and the sky was pitch, tiny dots of light littered across the great expanse. There was a gentle breeze bringing a faint nostalgia to him, reminding him of days long past. They were getting closer to their target but it seemed that he didn't notice them, standing idly as if to stare upon the stars in that open field.

"The fodder you sent last week wasn't enough to keep me occupied." The blonde said, slightly surprising the missing-nins.

"Not that I expected them to, their role was to locate you. And they served their roles well, at least." Itachi said without much concern. "They were expendable."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that you guys thought I perished or something during that fall." The boy who wasn't a boy gave a sigh. "Guess I was wrong." The air tinged, a shift of charka within the air alerting their keen senses. All of them looked to the east where the village of Konoha laid.

"Kisame," The shorter of the two shinobi whispered so quietly that none could hear, but the missing-nin heard it anyway. "They are coming. 12 of them. All of them ANBU level." To a normal ninja, such odds were daunting but Kisame merely grinned at the prospect. He hadn't had a good fight for such a long time. He did not know defeat, only carnage and slaughter registered within his mind.

"Gladly." The former Mist nin merely replied, letting a blood-lusting grin appear on his face before immediately vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

"Well, now that everything has been taken care of…" His eyes flared with the familiar crimson of the Sharingan. "Let us begin."

* * *

Trees were being torn asunder from the strength of their punches, the resulting splinters not affecting him or his opponent in any way, having trained to ignore pain. But Itachi did not rely on brute strength, as he noticed, but rather he let the speed of his attacks do the damage. Each movement made by Itachi was graceful as it was efficient. Naruto knew that the Uchiha was swift before but now…

It was as if he was hitting shadows.

There were only faint blurs appearing as Naruto slowed down his speed to attack, his punches often blocked or missed. His opponent, however, did not shy away and delivered a few bone-crushing blows to him with startling speed. Naruto growled as his shoulder shattered from the strike, the bone fragments cutting into his flesh. But it was a temporary pain as the bone mended itself back into place a second later. He prepared to strike hard. This time there was no pain to stop him.

With a roar, he slammed the blade into the ground which Itachi stood upon, the ground breaking up from the colossal force. The torn body of Itachi exploded into a puff of smoke.

_Kage Bushin_. Naruto realized too late as his senses picked up a disturbing amount of chakra leaking from the surroundings.

Suddenly, he found himself alone, all sense of outside vanishing. The ground quickly became shadows, hungrily devouring any source of light from his surroundings. Panic started to rise in him, before he reminded himself that it was a ninjutsu, nothing that he couldn't break. "Kai!" The darkness still remained. "Kai!" The shadows took various forms, each one lumbering towards him with great speed. Then everything stopped, all of them surrounding him.

The shape closest to him morphed into something. Something pink.

He froze. It was Sakura. But her eyes were frighteningly dull and cruel, not the lively ones he remembered and deeply cherished. She opened her mouth to speak, before closing it abruptly, her eyes accusing as her gaze settled upon him.

"You're the Kyuubi, it all makes sense now…" 'Sakura' said, her delicate features twisting into ugly contempt. "Those stares you always seem to receive, I realize now that it is because of what you're. A demon."

Words which did not hurt him before now stung painfully. To hear it come from her made it worse.

Soon, more people he knew took shape from the shadows, mocking and berating him. He knew it was just an illusion but it hurt. The genjutsu was aimed at dissolving the will of the opponent. He preferred ninjutsu or taijutsu over genjutsu for the simple fact that using a genjutsu was akin to using slow and painful torture. But that didn't mean he wasn't proficient in it.

His eyes shifted from natural blue into bloody red. Almost at once, the shapes stopped and shuddered before sinking back into the abyss whence it came. The darkness remained, though it was impassive and subtle he was still stuck. He took a deep breath in an effort to clear his mind of the jutsu's effects. The dispel technique did not work so he had to try another method…

"Raiton: Hikari no Ken." Naruto whispered, his hands flying as he formed one seal after another, his katana giving a faint spark as he finished the last of them. Immediately, he swung it at the shadows, white lightning arching from his blade and into the surroundings, dispelling the ninjutsu. The darkness faded as his vision of the forest returned though Itachi was no where in sight.

"Your techniques won't work on me, Itachi!" He shouted into the forest, though he knew the mind assault had more than shaken him. He was still trembling from its effects, but the night covered him in darkness.

Itachi appeared a safe distance away, eyes still locked within red. "Very good, Naruto-kun. You passed my expectations."

Naruto didn't respond save for a snarl as his blade hummed with white energy, shifting the dull metal into a red hot hue as it did. He swung the blade in a forward motion, a lance of pure white shooting forth towards Itachi.

"I see that you have progressed much." Another lance of lightning came at him, and he avoided it effortlessly.

"Listen to what I have to say." Once more, lightning shot out, this time it was coated with a angry red hue. The beam whizzed passed Itachi and into the forest behind, the resulting explosion rumbling the earth.

"What makes you think I want listen to your words, eh? Your hands and legs can do the talking well enough." Naruto scowled, his blade poised to deliver another blow.

Itachi was unfazed by the murderous tone in his voice. "The Nine have decided that you're worthy of joining the Akatsuki."

The Akatsuki wanting him to join, even after declaring him to be free game because of the Kyuubi? The thought was ridiculous, laughable even. But what was the true reason behind this? He found it quite unsettling for them just to go all this way just to tell him that. Looking at it from all points, it was easier to attempt a abduction than to go through miles and miles of hostile land just to offer a choice he might not take. Not to mention the last time they met, he ended up jumping over a cliff. And after being subjected to his fears, Naruto had every right to be more than suspicious of the missing-nin's intention.

"You have hunted me before, but never have you offered such a proposal to me. So why now?" He asked slowly, sheathing his blade back as its bright white surface faded back into dull grey.

"It is simple. You have power, Naruto-kun," Itachi answered. "Be it the Kyuubi or your skills as of late, power is something you have in abundance. Something we approve of."

_What a load of crap._ He thought. There was something more than that, something that the Uchiha was concealing. He could feel it in his blood. But he knew he would have to find out later. "Flattering, but I'm sure there is another motive for this?"

Light reflected off Itachi's black orbs. "It's good to see that you're observant. Then I'm sure that you have heard of the Sound's latest movements throughout the continent?"

"What does that got to do with anything?" He asked coldly. Indeed, what does it have to do with him? The only problems he had with the Sound was the increased amount of scrutiny he has been receiving from their Hunter-nins, or rather scavengers of the mad Orochimaru. Usually, Hunter-nins dispose of the bodies of missing nins so as to avoid letting their village's secrets to be revealed in autopsies. But those of the Sound did not practice this, and instead were determined to gather 'material' for Orochimaru's experiments, be it dead or alive. And his repute of obtaining several scrolls of import did not help him, but again, they had to catch and best him first. He waited for the Uchiha to answer.

"Everything which concerns the survival of this pathetic village, and whatever precious people who live here."

Whatever Naruto was expecting as an answer, this wasn't it. The Uchiha's answer caught him off guard and it showed on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Orochimaru has rallied thousands to his cause. The borders of the Sound have now expanded into the neutral regions. Many speak of an impending treaty of cooperation between the Earth Country and the Sound. All of this points to an all-out-attack on the Leaf, which would either destroy or severely cripple Konoha. The Sand, with its policy of isolation, cannot afford to send anything save a token force." His eyes glinted. "In other words, this would be the final blow. One which Konoha cannot shrug off."

There was a brief silence. "Why are you telling me this," Naruto said finally. "You're not exactly the most charitable person I'm acquainted with."

Itachi ignored him. "Think of it as a token of goodwill from our organization. Letting Orochimaru get an advantage in this conflict would be…unfavorable to our purpose."

Naruto stayed silent at that, though he wanted to ask what that purpose was.

"Regardless of whether you will act on the facts I have provided, you have three weeks to decide. What happens to this village during this time or later is none of the Akatsuki's concern, but…" Itachi lingered on, "If you join us that may not be the case."

"What makes you think that I still harbor anything but contempt for this village?"

Itachi blinked, before he let out a mirthless chuckle. "There is nothing my Sharingan cannot see. Nothing at all. Your attempts at concealment are pitiful, to say the least." And it was true, he knew. The bloodline ability of the Uchiha was originally a seer trait within the Hyuuga blood. Impure but vastly efficient. That knowledge was a courtesy of the vast repertoire of the Kyuubi.

Naruto thought about this. He was already an S-class missing-nin, regardless of his deceased status and it wouldn't bother him to have another alias brought to the same level of infamy like the other names he taken on during the last four years. But to accept the invitation from those who once wanted to destroy him, it was a bit unsettling for him to agree so readily. However…

Itachi's words rang in his mind, voice clear as day. _What happens to this village during this time or later is none of the Akatsuki's concern, but if you join us that may not be the case._

It would protect those he needed to protect while estranging himself even further from them. Ironic but it was perfect…

"I will consider it." He said finally. "Is there anything else?"

"Also, my sources tell me that my foolish brother would be coming here quite soon. To take part in a tournament, I believe." Naruto narrowed his eyes, while Itachi remained impassive as always. "I thought you might want to know."

Naruto almost snorted at that. Itachi said that to provoke him into acting. To do what exactly? He honestly had no idea. But the mention of Sasuke made the rage in his blood boil, somehow he still hasn't forgotten about his betrayal. The feeling hasn't lessened any bit through these years.

"I'm going to defeat him." He declared, the unspoken words following in his mind, reflecting a promise he hasn't forgotten yet. _And bring him back even if I have to drag back his corpse._ The dark clouds moved as the winds blew them away, revealing the moon in its blood red glory.

"Oh?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, amusement showing in his dull eyes. "I would like to see you try. After all, if he's still weak, then I suppose there is no point in keeping him alive anymore…" He shifted, his eyes darting to the east, where the village was awfully quiet. "We await your favorable reply then, Naruto-kun. Remember, you have three weeks." Without warning, Itachi's shape blurred, disappearing as if he wasn't there.

He needed to get information, and he knew the best way to get it.

Without wasting time, Naruto focused as his face shifted into another face, taking on more rough features. Once he was done, he allowed himself a small grin. Even when he was fully rested, it was quite difficult to shift-shape his body. But for him to do it so fast while he was winded out was no mean feat. Now all he had to do was become unconscious, a simple thing by comparison to shape-shifting.

With a few hand seals, he uttered the words. "Gansaku nemuri no jutsu." He relaxed; it would take a bit of time before the ANBU will arrive. As expected, he saw a brief glimpse of approaching shinobi just as he felt the unnatural need to sleep. Hopefully, they would drag his body to the ANBU compound. With his current identity, he wouldn't be surprised. The face he taken on was of a notorious repute, specially chosen for that reason alone.

He had a clear view as to what he was going to do but somehow, the future seemed uncertain as darkness engulfed him into its embrace...

* * *

A/N: Well, its been a while since the last update. I was hoping that this month would be a productive one for the fic but it proved otherwise with the setbacks I have at school. But I'm sure you all aren't here to hear my rants. :P Frankly speaking, this chapter proved to be the backburner for my brain, a lot of the scenes were toned down from what I originally planned because of the massive length and it shows cause this one is numbered at 13k. Also, the romance factor in this story is also making it difficult for me to write certain scenes. If people say this chapter was crap, I wouldn't say otherwise, because I rushed this one. If I find the time to modify this chapter, I would do so, but for now, my time is as stretched out as it is, from my year end examinations. Act VI is already in the works, and I have planned it out so you can expect lots of fighting in the next chapter. To those who have stuck by this story, you have my sincere thanks, I couldn't have done it without your feedback. As always, read and if you like (or don't like) what you see, please drop by a review or a post of constructive criticism. Thank you once again.

**Jutsu: **

Katon: Ryuusakeme (Dragon's Tear): A forbidden ninjutsu which had been lost since the first Ninja wars, Naruto managed to obtain a manual of it during his extensive travels throughout the continent. One of the strongest Fire jutsu available but also the most deadly as it drains chakra too quickly for an average ninja to cope with. The technique summons out a dragon purely made of flame. Unlike most elemental summons, this one is far more superior abilities than its weaker counterparts, as it is able to shrug off Jounin level attacks without so much a scratch and summon Grand Fireballs constantly. Considered once a Legendary Jutsu before its disappearance but was replaced in favor of the Fire Emperor, which had less side effects. Naruto acquired a copy of it in the Earth country where he purchased it from a peasant who didn't know of its worth.

Ninpou: Gansaku Nemuri no jutsu (Fake Sleep): Basically, it's a forced sleep technique, similar to the one Gaara used to fake his sleep.


	7. Act VI: Complications I

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Simple and concise.

Just a note, this fic is set four years after Sasuke defected to Orochimaru. It is AU as of the manga story arc, as Naruto did not train with Jiraiya. 4/12/05: Looked it over and finished some parts which I missed prior to uploading. Very annoyed at myself.

Act VI: Complications I

Beneath the large metropolis that was Konoha, there lay a maze of tunnels, made as an alternative route to the front line in the event of a siege, each tunnel barely wide enough to hold five people shoulder to wall. While this may seem excessive, many a city has fallen in the Third Secret War because of the lack of a contingency escape route and the Fire Council deemed it necessary to prevent that scenario from happening. In one particular tunnel, which leads from Konoha to the borders of the Fire-Sound border, two ANBU were half dragging, half carrying a body, though dead or alive, one had to guess. Their faces were concealed by animal masks and the shadows, colored by skillful dabs of paint. However, it was clear that one was anxious whereas another was impassive.

"Are you sure we should be hauling this one by ourselves?" His companion asked nervously, throwing the occasional glance at the man who was clasped in iron cuffs, "I mean he is-"

"There is nothing to worry about," A harsh grisly voice spoke out, "The little sucker here can't do shit when he's stuck in these." At this, the man lightly kicked the captive, who remained motionless. The other wasn't convinced.

"This is Higara Yukito you're talking about here, sir. I still can't believe we found him alive and unconscious…"

He didn't get a reply. Soon, they reached an intersection, the front, left, right tunnels leading to parts he wasn't entirely sure of. Only one led to Konoha while the rest were dead-ends, armed to the teeth with traps and other unpleasant wards for the unlucky nin. There have been rumors that many a enemy shinobi lay dead within these tunnels never to return because they had merely taken a wrong route, hence preserving the secret of the tunnels to their deaths. An irony, really.

The dog-masked man stopped his stride, causing the other to stumble as his body tried to deal with the inertia. Then the bird-masked man saw something odd. Though the dim lightning made it almost impossible to see, he noticed that his superior's hair was now jet black and not the light brown he had seen during the day, the once short crop now a long mane.

He felt a slight stirring in his gut, the type which only happened when there was something really wrong. Then he caught sight of the captive, and froze.

Gone was the scarred face of Higara, replaced by the face of his superior, his still features displaying surprise. He must have died quickly, the stunned ANBU mused.

The dog-masked man must have noticed this too, for he muttered a curse. "I was hoping the jutsu lasted longer."

Dropping the body, the man removed his dog-mask, hair of the darkest obsidian spilling forth from their bindings.

The ANBU didn't waste anytime however, and within that instance, had drawn a kunai, preparing to lunge at the interloper.

He saw a flash of red. Six tear-shaped dots in a circular pattern upon a layer of crimson. Time slowed as he saw each one of them start to glow and spin in a clockwise direction. Spinning faster, spinning so beautifully, he couldn't bear to divert his gaze from those horrible eyes.

Then, all went blank.

* * *

"Sasuke-sama." The voice was quiet and servile, while at the same time it was silky and smooth. 

The Uchiha turned, his eyes still suspended in crimson as the dots in his eyes faded away. He regarded the girl, Kikyou, was it? The girl was a beautiful thing, graced with lustrous raven hair which framed her face perfectly. Her skin was creamy white, almost bordering a porcelain-like quality, and her eyes were of the deepest blue. But despite her seeming docility and frailty, Sasuke knew to keep his distance for every rose has its thorns.

"What is it?" He asked.

The girl tilted her gaze to the ground before speaking in a soft, silky voice. "The others are here." Sure enough, Sasuke picked up faint footsteps coming from behind them. A deep voice resonated from behind. Sasuke turned once more to face a youth of his own age, skin tan from the sun and eyes dark as the shadows. He bowed.

"The way is secure, Sasuke-sama."

"Hmph." He grunted in acknowledgement before remembering one important detail. "And where is that dumb girl?" Sasuke scowled; of all those who were assigned to accompany him on this mission, he hated this one the most.

"Kazuko said she would scout ahead, Sasuke-sama." The boy, Akira, said uneasily, his gaze focusing on something behind him. Something was unnerving the boy, he could tell.

Sasuke turned and saw Kikyou looking towards the bodies, her raven hair now bright red and aloft in the air; he knew what she was going to do and had no wish to watch. "Leave them, we have wasted enough time." He barked out. This stopped the girl, her hair floating down, now black as it once was.

Kikyou nodded, though her full lips held a small frown. While Sasuke did not fear much in the world, he dare not meet her eyes, which were surely amber from being denied her feeding. He took a glance at her a few seconds later. They were blue now. He almost sighed with relief. But he didn't.

An Uchiha does not fear anything.

"Let's go," He finally said, resuming his walk. The two silently followed him through the dark subterranean tunnels as they neared their objective; the Hidden Village of Konoha.

* * *

Sitting down on the cold hard concrete and stripped of anything which could be used as a weapon, Naruto grinned like a madman. His surroundings was devoid of light save for the stray glimmer of light which flickered every so often through small viewing rectangle from the candles on the nearby wall. 

Though there was a distinct lack of light, he could see bright seals of crimson etched into the battered walls around him, swirls and symbols scrawled all over the peeling paint. He had seen such seals once, when he was captured momentarily in the Thunder Country, dumped into a holding cell far less clean than this one, with similar runes of arcane carved onto the walls.

They were simple in their function, but complicated in their design, confounding those who have tried to destroy them with relative ease by redirecting the flow of chakra within the body. It was supposed to keep the chakra of the prisoner suppressed, rendering both molding and regeneration virtually impossible. But it had another side effect, one that was not discovered by its creators.

The seals fed on chakra continuously, yes, but not in lethal amounts. Demon chakra, however, was an entirely different matter…

And it pissed the fox off, making the quiet demon more insane than it was usually.

Even now, it was raging within him, and Naruto could imagine the fox striking and clawing at the prison that was his mind. The runes were absorbing the Youkai's chakra as if they were a sponge. And while the drain was inconsequence to the Kyuubi's vast reserves, it unsettled the frail equilibrium between sanity and madness that kept the demon more or less dormant.

It was invisible to detection methods employed by those who first designed the symbols which made up the system, and thus it remained for centuries upon centuries since their creation. Anyone who was locked within these cells would not notice the signs either, becoming weaker as time went on. If they stayed too long, they would eventually die.

It wasn't the case with him though. He was already known as a stamina freak even before his growth, and it would take quite a while for the seals to kill him. Though not as long as he would have liked however; his chakra was draining too fast for his comfort.

But, as much as he detested it, he had to be patient or everything he done thus far would be for not. Naruto grimaced, he hated being patient.

He concentrated chakra to his hand, a slowly growing ball of blue forming above the ball of his palm. Naruto growled when he saw the firm ball of energy he had created being torn away, dissipating as the runes feasted hungrily.

He tried again, this time putting in more energy than before. It was a delicate balance that he had to maintain; too little chakra produced would result in failure while too much could whittle away what little he had. Sensing that the amount was right, he slammed it straight onto the ground. He heard a faint shriek of air and energy as the blood-red runes began to lose its vivacity. Within him, he could feel the demon beginning to calm and lose much of the induced insanity that the runes imposed upon it. Not that the Kyuubi wasn't insane by normal standards.

It was a short reprieve however for both host and demon, as the runes flared back to life, this time burning brighter than before. The air became thick, almost to the point that breathing became a difficulty, and he felt the draining process begin once more.

The demon howled, screaming threats of death into the void of its prison.

Muting out the shrill the demon was making as it assaulted its confining walls, he summoned up another ball of chakra and tried again. The ball dissipated but the wards were intact. Naruto frowned. This was going to take longer than he thought.

* * *

Dead. 

One was an adjutant while the other was his predecessor.

Both found dead. Conveniently dumped within the death-tunnels. Aptly named because of the traps set within those tunnels. Many a enemy died within those, including the occasional Leaf-nin.

Kakashi sat in his new office, eyeing the significant stacks of paper lumped neatly on his tables with obvious reluctance. The mountain wasn't comparable to the one that the Hokage received without fail every morning, but it was close enough.

Things were getting a little out of control, but he managed to suppress the ensuing chaos from exploding into widespread panic; the previous captain had been found dead, along with a comatose subordinate, in the secret tunnels leading towards their front-line base of operations. The ramifications were dire. Not only was the head of the ANBU dead, there was also the matter of treason within their ranks. That particular tunnel had just been destroyed hours ago in order to maintain what little secrecy that was left, and the remaining ones were undergoing reroutes to suit the change.

The role of captaincy had been pushed onto him, being the most experienced within the ANBU, sane or otherwise. He was surprised, so to say, when he asked the Hokage to find someone else, she had said that there was no one else for suited for the task; the rest having died during the short but bloody engagements throughout the last four years.

Or locked away within the high-security asylums, their sanity cracked like an eggshell. Even though it had been years since he last saw one, those places still gave him the shivers.

The autopsy said that the captain was killed by a kunai in the back, which severed his spine fully. Not an uncommon method of killing, he noted, though the quality of the steel had to be very good in order to cut through bone. The autopsy on the coma-induced man revealed far more disturbing things however.

Despite the best efforts of the Hokage, she could not revive the man from his affliction. Kakashi had seen the body and shuddered, being reminded of the time when he was just like the unfortunate one currently lying comatose. Death was better than this, and he knew it.

Fortunately, the doctors didn't have the chance to do much about it. He died soon after, his body ceasing to function once the jutsu completed its job.

All in all, the affair was a hopeless one in his book though he didn't have any choice. Kakashi didn't want to think about it for long. Aside from the good old Captain, he had no real contacts within the elite organization that was now his to command, most of them either too inexperienced to be of help or both were unacceptable to him .

There was a knock on his door.

"Enter."

While Kakashi expected to find another one of those pesky courtiers delivering his share of paper work for the day, he didn't expect to see the famed 'Lazy Bum', Nara Shikamaru from the Ninja Academy, which was highly unusual in itself, considering the effort he would have to put in alone just to avoid the sentries and get to his office.

Not surprisingly, the whole thing seemed fishy to him.

"Shikamaru-kun, what brings you here today?" Kakashi asked with a fake smile while his hands underneath his desk drew a kunai from his leg hostler silently. It always pays to be cautious in his line of work, he reason. And if 'Shikamaru' didn't give him a decent answer to as why he's here, he will kill him. Cold-hearted, yes. But the enemy didn't care, so why should he?

'Shikamaru' yawned, "I suggest you keep away that kunai, I'm on your side."

Kakashi didn't response, performing a quick seal. The shadows of his desk suddenly sprung forth in which 'Shikamaru' made no attempt to resist. Kakashi looked towards his captive, idly juggling a pair of kunai as he stared straight on him. "Now how would I know then," He began, his voice taking on a tone akin to that of mock-puzzlement, "That you are who you say you are and not some Sound scum that's on a hit job? Besides, it isn't everyday that I see school teachers come strolling into the offices of one of the most secure buildings in the whole of the village. Makes it more suspicious, doesn't it?"

His captive sighed, liquid brown eyes of clarity and focus giving Kakashi a look. "If you want proof, take the scroll that is within my left pocket." Warily, Kakashi did so, finding the mentioned scroll within. He lifted his hitai-ate upright, revealing the famed Sharingan eye of legend. Without hesitation, he opened it, its contents beamed back to his mind by the eye in a split second.

"So you're from Special Affairs?" He asked, his surprise well hidden. "Well, to be honest, I didn't expect it to be you, Shikamaru-kun. You didn't seem to be the type." There was a subtle hint of sarcasm in his words that was not lost on Shikamaru.

The pineapple-haired youth grunted, brushing off the insult with practice. "I will take that as a compliment." He answered dryly, immediately breaking away from the binding shadows. Kakashi gave him a look, his eyes asking an obvious question.

"I specialize in shadow jutsu, if you didn't already know," The boy explained sourly while stuffing his hands into his pockets, his eyes nonchalantly gazing on the item on the desk, "My scroll please."

Kakashi looked at the scroll briefly, before passing it to him. "Ah, of course. Never can be too careful, you know."

The teen grumbled a bit. "You ANBU captains are always the same; always so paranoid." He didn't blame them though, it was almost an instinct hammered into them during their intensive training, and most of those who lived long enough to retire often ended up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, their minds succumbing to their training. And ironically, it is what made them have the highest survival rates among the various shinobi battalions.

"Err…" Kakashi now had one hand scratching the back of his head, while the other was waving in a downward manner as if to refute the statement. He stopped the gesture a moment later, the man regarding the teen with a look, before he beamed.

"So...green tea?" The silver-haired man said a bit too cheerfully, gesturing to the nearby drink dispenser next to the wall. Shikamaru obliged, and soon he was sipping his tea comfortably in his seat.

Kakashi, seeing this, lost his expression of false cheer. "Now that you're more comfortably accommodated…" He said, before his voice hardened, "What do you want?"

"Resources." Shikamaru said vaguely, before reaching into another pocket in his vest, pulling out a black labeled scroll, one which was recognized by Kakashi as Priority One. "The upcoming Chuunin-Jounin tournament requires your expertise in order to maintain the security of the event."

Kakashi frowned. "Do you honestly believe that anyone in their right mind would ambush a whole arena filled with shinobi?" The sheer amount of shinobi present would be suicide for any group trying to force their way, in addition to the security wards placed to prevent such an occurrence. Somehow the thought hadn't occurred to Shikamaru, Kakashi mused.

The next sentence, however, shocked him. "In addition to this, you're to suspend any investigation concerning the murder of your predecessor."

"Now, you're asking an impossible thing, Shikamaru-kun," He chided,"You're asking us to give up jurisdiction of a issue that is must not go unsolved. I'm responsible for this, not you."

"I'm aware of that, Captain." He said, placing the scroll onto the oak desk. "I will elaborate further when you're done with the scroll."

Kakashi stared at it before taking the pre-offered scroll which sat on his desk. It didn't take long for him to read it and at the end of it, Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You know that we barely have enough for our missions as it is. Stationing a squad would more than suffice for this type of thing but to keep-" He was cut off by Shikamaru, whose face for once showed extreme irritation.

"You have no choice." said Shikamaru, folding his arms, "I will petition the council to suspend the entire ANBU contingent to be avaliable for this assignment if I have to. Either way, you will do this willingly or not."

Kakashi whistled. Doing all of that required a lot effort and string pulling to even achieve, which was surprising to say the least, considering that all forms of action was deemed 'too troublesome' to be done. The Nara boy had changed since his Chuunin days, he had to admit. But that didn't stop him from poking fun at the boy's expense, seeing that he clearly hated the work that had to be done which came with his position.

The cheery tone that he used before came back. "Hmm...this coming from one whom normally slacks off his duty. I thought you would be a bit lax when handling paperwork?"

Shikamaru grunted. "You need not remind me of that, and I admit that it is a thankless job, but I blame our great _illustrious _Fifth, since she is such a wonderful taskmaster," Shikamaru mumbled, "Now on to the matter of your assured-" This time it was Kakashi who interrupted.

"I still fail to see the point of giving up the investigation."

"I'm asking you to give it up because," Shikamaru's cool brown eyes were relaxed though it was the ease of familiarity, not true relief. "We already have a solid lead on the perpetrators"

"What?"

"We received information from our informants that the Sound has been planning to infiltrate and assassinate key members of Konoha's administration for quite some time now, and rumor has it that the hit is going to take place sometime this week."

"Then why organize something so wasteful of resources better used elsewhere?" Kakashi's tone was questioning. "This matter should have been brought to the Council for deliberation the moment they entered Fire territory."

"The only reason why we're putting effort into this is to draw the assassins out. They wouldn't suspect anything while most of the ninjas are happily tucked away underground with a visible cadre of ANBU seemingly watching when instead the hunters are already prowling on their tracks."

It was a good plan, Kakashi admitted. "Clever."

"Also," Shikamaru ignored the captain, though he showed great reluctance to continue, "We have reason to believe that…_he_ will be coming back as well." It was rather well-known who he was referring to. The protégé of Copy-Ninja Kakashi.

It was rather well-known that Kakashi was still sore about his prize ex-pupil. And most would avoid mentioning the Uchiha for the assurance of their continued wellbeing. Shikamaru was taking quite a risk when he mentioned Sasuke.

Kakashi, being true to the rumors, narrowed his eyes at the reference. If he was involved, then it would be an entirely different thing altogether. _He_ would be the one to track down the boy.

"He," Shikamaru said, "As you know, is one of the last remaining Uchiha left. Aside from the Uchiha Itachi, that level of jutsu can't be just found anywhere. Spy networks from the Aburame have confirmed that the Uchiha have left the Sound territories."

Kakashi gave the teen a wary look; the boy was too smart for his taste. "I will assemble a nightly watch from today to the day of the tournament. Will that suffice?" Shikamaru nodded passively, but did not leave. Kakashi leveled a stare at the boy. "Is that all?"

Shikamaru pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Yes, I suppose I should get going."

He stopped before he opened the door. "Can you accomplish your mission, Captain?"

There was a brief pause.

"…Yes."

With a nod, Nara Shikamaru left, but not before giving the man a searching look.

Left alone in his office, Kakashi knew what the teen meant, and he prayed that he find the boy before anything untoward happened. Anything which came after that he would deal with when the time came. For now, he needed to find Sasuke. It would take a lot of effort to redeem him, but Kakashi would make it happen.

He had to.

* * *

The wards were torn and tattered by the by the time Naruto was done with them, and he was satisfied with his handiwork. Whether this satisfaction came from the fox or his ego, he wasn't entirely sure but the feeling was good in any case. Without the effects of the runes, he set the next stage of his escape plan into motion. 

Before he was placed into this dilapidated hell-hole, he noticed that there were shinobi-guards posted to attend to his cell. And judging from the vibes he was getting off from them he had to guess that they were vastly bored with their assignment. Which was no surprise to him. After all, they had dumped him into one of the most advanced of their 'Containment Rooms'. They did not expect to find much of a challenge in keeping guard a stripped and cleaned enemy. And by nature, ANBU Stalker-nins were hunters, not babysitters, which led to an even more enhanced state of boredom.

Sitting on the floor, Naruto entered the beginnings of a trance. The blankness within his mind was immediately washed away in a myriad flow of colors which transcended beyond the boundaries of his miniscule cell to the very city he was in. Almost overwhelmed by the sight, he forced himself to shift his focus to his cell, or more importantly, himself. Naruto did not see his body of flesh but instead a blob of red and blue intermingling constantly. It was as if he was a watching himself in a third prospective, but he knew better.

Gently and skillfully, he reached out, pulling a tendril of reddish energy from his form. He continued this until there were nine individual 'tails' stemming from his metaphysical form.

Satisfied, he let himself relax and his sight returned to his body, no longer an observer. He could see the faint outline of two people, their chakra a gentle flame. Now, it was time for the fun part to begin.

He tugged at them, and not too gently either, a large amount of chakra being torn away at every attempt, though his 'guards' only felt a tiny prick he every time did so. Combined with the fact that they were nearly half asleep with boredom, it made them vulnerable targets indeed.

_All too easy_, he thought as stray chakra rolled off his astral self, its life essence desperately clinging to him before being pulled away all the same by the semi-sentient markings on the wall. While he had effectively rendered the wards null, their potency still remained, eating the chakra which strayed towards them. Naruto made a mental note to remember the design of the wards if he ever saw them again. Those things would prove somewhat useful in battle. He winced though as a particular surge of chakra zapped him when he was careless enough to absorb the chakra.

Soon, the guards began to feel the effects. At first, they felt a shortness of breath, though their duty did not require much from them. Then, as soon as the first sign of fatigue waved over, they felt a great yearning to sleep, the natural instinct overriding their strict training.

They fell to the floor, drained but very much alive. And snoring very loudly right about now if Naruto was right.

He gathered chakra to his fist, carefully adjusting it so that it was not too much to be absorbed but not too little to be of no effect. Sensing that it was time, Naruto slammed his fist into the steel door, ripping from its hinges the moment the punch connected. The door smashed into the adjacent wall, creating a screech that made him cringe. That ruckus had no doubt alerted every ANBU personnel on this level.

Bah.

The guards weren't Hunter-nin, in any case; which suited him just fine if anyone bothered to ask.

All he needed to do now was to get out of here and find Sasuke.

* * *

Normally, the detention blocks of Konoha's ANBU division were quiet most of the time. Even when there was a commotion, it usually lasted no more than a few minutes. Which made Kenji wonder why this one lasted for more than an hour. 

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump. _

It wasn't loud a noise to indicate a escape attempt or else the wards would have triggered, thereby locking down the whole block with both ANBU and would-be escapees in.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

The infernal noise was beginning to tick him off. With a scowl, Izuma Kenji slapped his Icha Icha Paradise! Vol.12 onto his desk before turning to the stairwell.

"Stupid guards, can't they do their job more discreetly?" He mumbled as he got ready a suitable choice of words for those stationed in the next level.

The sound stopped.

Kenji paused in his stride before finally shrugging. The next chapter of Icha Icha Paradise! awaited him, after all! Like most male shinobi stuck with guard duty, Icha Icha Paradise was a haven for the bored. With that thought he thanked the author of that oh so good novel, for he didn't know what he would have done without the epic graphic novel that was Icha Icha Paradise!

Soon, he was lost within his world of bisexual women and nymphomaniacs of all creed and manner.

Of course that obviously meant that he didn't notice the shadow which crept behind him.

_BOINK! _

The last thing that Kenji remembered was that big breasted Yumiko-chan in her tight red spandex suit.

* * *

"Stupid pervert…" Naruto muttered when he noticed the familiar orange book with a large 'restricted' sign stamped on the back. The one who had been reading the book had been knocked out of consciousness by him and from where he was standing, he could see a small puddle of drool along with a weird expression plastered on his face. The book innocently lay a few feet from the body. 

During the course of his escape, Naruto tried to gain access to the minds of his captors, another one of the small extra talents that he received from his 'tenant'.

Unfortunately, ANBU were trained to block off their minds while in battle, and the effect remained even when one was unconscious. Which caused Naruto no small amount of grief. Still, he had chance to get what he needed.

Naruto took one more look at the man's face and cringed. What he was about to do was definitely not going to pleasant for him.

Tentatively, he placed a hand on the man's head. Almost immediately, his mind was assaulted with an image worthy of the Super Pervert Jiraiya. And with great difficultly, he shrugged off the sensual imagery and began to delve deeper into the man's mind. At once, memories came flooding into his mind. A fail-safe against intrusion which was unconsciously hammered into all ANBU recruits, designed to overload the invading mind to the point of seizure.

Sweat began to form on his forehead as the memories began to get bigger and harder to recognize. With a determined push, he got past the mental defense of the man. The flow calmed and Naruto found himself releasing a sigh of relief. Gritting his teeth, Naruto filtered the traffic into a neat consumable package with effort, throwing away the excess and unimportant information. Soon, he was searching within the recent memories and information, shifting from one place to another. For that one single moment, he was Izuma Kenji, privy to all the knowledge that he had ever possessed.

Naruto opened his eyes.

He had found what he was looking for.

* * *

Kakashi finished the last of his paperwork for the day. The incident with Shikamaru left him drained and now he felt a great need to go back home for some sleep. Curiously enough, he noted that the last time he had a decent wink of sleep was 2 days ago. Checking the schedules to ensure that everything would be moving along smoothly when he came back in the morning, he ventured out of his office to the check-out point of the building. 

The building where the ANBU were headquartered was large and often intimidating with its seemingly long and endless corridors. The fact that the majority of the facilities were under the city didn't help eliminate that impression. But he was no stranger to intimidation, since he was a master at it. Normally, the corridors were deserted given the extensive size of the compound and vast number of routes within it.

But today he saw another one of his ilk appear from another one of the long and winding corridors.

He noticed something peculiar about this person. Aside from the rare fox mask and the blonde hair.

"You there, stop." Kakashi pointed to the fox masked-nin. "Where are you off to? I specifically said that all of you're to patrol sectors 4D to 4G." At this, the man tensed, and Kakashi frowned. Paranoia began to set in but he was interrupted by the man's answer.

"Oh, we've finished our rounds earlier than expected, sir." He said, pausing as if in deep thought, "We already used route 56 to check in."

"Ah, I see." Kakashi said, allowing himself to relax a little.

"Sir, will we be able to watch the tournament tomorrow?" The blonde haired ANBU asked cheerfully. At this, Kakashi really began to suspect that something was amiss. ANBU were notorious for being cold, emotionless puppets of death and no one who had passed theInitiate Rites were _ever _openly happy.

"No, we got patrol duty tomorrow, as always." He answered, his visible eye glancing suspiciously at the masked ANBU. And since when did anyone been so amicable to him?

"Ah, a pity." He said, shaking his head. "Well, a good day to you, Kakashi-san. I'm off then." With that, the ANBU almost bounced away.

An odd one, Kakashi mused.

As he wandered out of the complex, he tried to recall whether there were any blondes in his department.

* * *

Tsunade was not pleased. Something which she happened to be for the last few hours. 

Especially with that good-for-nothing ex-teammate of hers.

And currently she was at the bar with said-teammate.

Which was definitely much better than paperwork any day of the week.

"Jiraiya, you bastard! I thought you kept an eye out for that brat!" She ranted at the white-haired hermit who had next to her. Her cheeks were flush and her words slurred, though it only made her more attractive to said ex-teammate.

"Hmph." Jiraiya grunted, taking a swing from his flask. "It's not my fault that the brat disappeared, besides weren't the ANBU looking for him?

"Don't you dare shrug responsibility like that!" She retorted. "You promised me that you would keep an eye on him."

"More sake, bartender!" He yelled out, before turning to Tsunade. "I did, though I didn't expect that he was going to play the sneaky bastard." The bartender arrived with a fresh flask.

Tsunade stared at her cup, suddenly somber. "True."

"Wonder what the people would have to say about their Hokage drinking her brains out now?" Jiraiya asked, bringing his flask towards Tsunade's cup. "Another?"

"They won't, because no one recognizes me now." She grinned viciously. "Thanks."

"Geez, I didn't think that you would actually use that age jutsu of yours to become 18 again." Jiraiya muttered. "Isn't that a little bit extreme just for ditching paperwork?" Though he said that, Tsunade often found his eyes wandering towards her chest and she almost snarled. Seemed like Jiraiya never changed. But that doesn't mean that she had to put up with it.

"Quit staring at my chest."

Jiraiya responded in turn by giving her a cheeky look. "Your fault for making those look bigger than they actually are."

She resisted the urge to punch him. Hard.

So she settled for an alternative.

Poker.

After many hours and sake flasks later, the two found themselves in a comfortable silence. The bar has long closed though; the owner was willing to allow them to stay however. Turns out that he was a fan of Jiraiya's dirty books. Tsunade giddily thought it funny that how some things work out.

She hiccupped.

"Man, Tsunade," Jiraiya said, his cheeks red like her own, "You drank more than me! You never drink more than me!"

Tsunade glared at him. "You're just grumbling because you lost this time. And besides, I need a break like this every now and then."

There was a long silence before Jiraiya spoke. "You still thinking about him?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay to tell me," He said at last, "I will always be here, whether you want it or not." There was a bit of humor in his words, though she knew that he was serious. She didn't take it.

"I wanted him to come back but not like this." She whispered, letting her head rest on her arms.

"I know," Jiraiya murmured, feeling weary himself, "I know."

* * *

A/N: Unbeta-ed, possible spelling/grammar mistakes and other story issues. Tardiness seems to have taken a deep root within me and I have to apologize once more. Though I'm pleased to have this chapter up by the end of the week, I realize that the transition is going to be a bit harder for me as my language and other stuff improve (Or worsen).This chapter is noticeably shorter than the ones I have uploaded in the past as this would be the first part out of three that would comprise the Complications Arc. The next chapter would bring about the all the others characters together for the first time though they do not know that. :) I apologize in advance if any of the characters seem too OOC to you all. For those who have said that I have been influenced by Samurai Deeper Kyo and RK, you are partially correct. Unfortunately, those influences have only affected the early chapters of the story and I can safely say that Naruto has more than swordplay up his sleeve. :) 

P.S: I'm beginning to hate the Quick for FFN...

For those who have continued to read this fic, thank you. Dunno how I would manage without you all.

As always, please read and review (or flame, if you so wish) because I cannot improve without your input. :P

Now for a little something extra for your time…

Hatake Kakashi

ANBU Captain

Shadow Division

Strength ... 16 Intelligence ... 18

Constitution ... 15 (16) Wisdom ... 14

Dexterity ... 19

Skills: Training (Ninja), Training (Jutsu), Specialist Training (ANBU), Weapon Proficiency (Swords), Weapon Proficiency (Projectiles), War Veteran, Technique Mastery (All), Gut Instinct, Paranoia

Equipment: Ninja pouch, ANBU-grade chest armour, ANBU-mask (Dog), Tempered Katana, Shuriken Holster (Right Leg), Steel Arm Guards, Personal Relay Transmitter, Icha Icha Paradise! Volume I-XIII Pocket Space version 1.1 / Collector's Edition, ANBU Cloak

War Veteran: A survivor of numerous conflicts, Kakashi has lived through various techniques and battles which would kill a normal shinobi. Thus he receives an additional awareness bonus on B to S-class missions. Additionally, he receives a permanent constitution bonus of 1.

Sharingan: This eye allows Kakashi to copy any jutsu, provided that it is not a bloodline limit that is performed within a certain range of Kakashi. However, it has its side effects. By way of forcibly remembering every single thing that happens in the proximity of the user, large chunks of data sent to the brain causes the brain to thereby 'overload' momentarily. Because of this, the Sharingan can be only used effectively for a short period of time lest the user suffers from a mental back lash. As such, Kakashi suffers a reduction of Intelligence, Dexterity and Constitution of 1 for every 1 minute using the Sharingan.

Jack-of-trades: Improvising is Kakashi's middle name. To represent this, Kakashi gets a +3 to saving throws when encountering an unknown threat.

Avid Fan: Often seen around with that infamous orange book, Kakashi is entranced by the multiple award winning novel written by none other than the Legendary Super Pervert Jiraiya which more than often leaves him (and any other non-self respecting shinobi) giggling like a school girl. Unfortunately because of this, Kakashi suffers an Intelligence and Wisdom reduction of 1 when idling while in the possession of any volume of Icha Icha Paradise!. (And they say porn does not make you dumb. -.-)


End file.
